Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley took a shot at former President Donald Trump after a court ruled against him in a defamation case filed by an author who claimed he sexually assaulted her decades ago.

Haley, who is currently trailing Trump in the 2024 Republican presidential primary race by almost 60 points, according to the latest RealClearPolitics polling average, referenced the exorbitant settlement the former president is being ordered to pay to E. Jean Carroll, stating that “American can do better than Donald Trump and Joe Biden.”

Donald Trump wants to be the presumptive Republican nominee and we’re talking about $83 million in damages. We’re not talking about fixing the border. We’re not talking about tackling inflation. America can do better than Donald Trump and Joe Biden.

— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) January 26, 2024

Haley is the only candidate left in the race other than Trump, and has been struggling to catch up to him in the polls. The highly-anticipated South Carolina primary race is about a month away and given the fact that it is Haley’s home state, it is expected to be a deciding factor in her candidacy.

On Friday, a jury in the U.S. District Court in New York ruled against the former president, holding him liable for defaming Carroll in his denials of her rape allegations against him.

With former President Donald Trump testifying in U.S. District Court in New York on Thursday, it seemed likely that a jury verdict in E. Jean Carroll's second defamation case against him was on the horizon. Now, the verdict is in, and the jury has awarded Carroll $18.3 million in compensatory damages plus $65 million in punitive damages. Carroll's legal team requested an award of at least $24 million plus punitive damages.

As I explained in the report regarding Trump's latest testimony, this latest verdict is in the case styled as "Carroll I." This was the initial defamation suit Carroll filed against Trump in relation to comments he made in 2019 denying her accusations that he sexually assaulted her in a department store dressing room in the 1990s. Because Trump was president at the time of those statements, his legal team had raised an immunity defense, which was denied by the trial judge and then appealed.

Trump responded on Truth Social, slamming the ruling and vowing to appeal it.

Absolutely ridiculous! I fully disagree with both verdicts, and will be appealing this whole Biden Directed Witch Hunt focused on me and the Republican Party. Our Legal System is out of control, and being used as a Political Weapon. They have taken away all First Amendment Rights. THIS IS NOT AMERICA!

This line of attack from Haley is not surprising, but it is also unlikely to do any real damage to the former president’s bid to secure the Republican nomination. This case, along with the series of indictments filed against him by Democratic officials, are largely viewed as politically motivated, especially among members of the Republican voting base.

The exorbitant settlement Trump has been ordered to pay further indicates that this particular case, just like the others, is intended to harm Trump politically and financially. On the right, most are not going to see this as anything other than an effort to influence the outcome of the upcoming election, which means Haley isn’t likely to take any votes from the former president.