Nikki Haley has found a way to capitalize off CNN anchor Don Lemon’s sexist comments about her age, selling beer koozies emblazoned with the slogan “Past My Prime? Hold My Beer” on her 2024 campaign website.
The former South Carolina governor first tweeted out an ad for the new merchandise on Tuesday afternoon, just an hour after first trial-ballooning the “hold my beer” line during a Fox News interview.
After officially announcing last week that she was running for the White House, the 51-year-old Haley soon found herself the focal point of a massive media story when Lemon bizarrely suggested she was no longer in her “prime” and should be careful when criticizing other politicians about their age.
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“Don’t shoot the messenger, I’m just saying what the facts are,” Lemon declared on Thursday. “Google it. Everybody at home, when is a woman in her prime? It says 20s, 30s and 40s.”
Lemon’s remarks quickly sparked tension with his female co-hosts and were met with universal backlash, prompting the CNN star to apologize publicly and to his network colleagues. After briefly benching Lemon from CNN This Morning, network chief Chris Licht announced Monday night that the anchor would return on Wednesday and undergo “formal training” following the misogynistic comments.
Haley, who immediately began fundraising off of Lemon’s comments last week, decided to up the ante during a Tuesday appearance on Fox News’ The Faulkner Focus.
Besides flagging Lemon’s infamous remarks, Fox News anchor Harris Faulkner noted that other liberal pundits have accused Haley of using her “brown skin to launder white supremacist talking points” and that she’s not part of a “new generation” of Republicans.
“They know that I am the biggest threat liberals have ever seen and they’re scared about it,” the former Trump ambassador to the U.N. responded. “You want to tell me I’m past my prime? Hold my beer and watch this!”
Haley continued: “Because I’m telling you, where we are going to take America will change all of that, and they know how hard I’ll work and how tough I am. Bring it, we’re ready.”
The presidential candidate then quickly urged Fox News viewers to visit her campaign website and “join us.”
Following the Fox News hit, Haley took to her Twitter account and posted a picture of blue beer koozies, complete with the brand-new slogan and campaign logo.
“For all of you who took issue with the haters saying that we are past our prime... this one’s for you. We’ve got this,” she wrote, alongside American flag and closed-fist emojis.
Her tweet also includes a link to her fundraising site, which informs donors that they can receive the “Limited Edition” can huggers by “chipping in $7 or more to support Nikki's fight to become YOUR next President!”
Haley’s attempt to sell Don Lemon-based campaign merch was met with online criticism on Tuesday afternoon, with some critics mocking her for a “cringe” effort to raise money off the controversy—including from her ex-boss’ campaign. (Of course, former President Donald Trump has already placed Haley in his crosshairs since she jumped into the White House race—even though she’s refused to openly criticize him back.)
