Washington: Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump has hit back at Indian-American Nikki Haley, saying he is "very angry" as the country is in a mess, a day after the South Carolina Governor took a jab at him by appealing to the country to resist "the angriest voices".
"When Nikki said that, I wasn't offended. She said the truth...I am angry because the country is in mess," Trump said during the Republican presidential debate in South Carolina.
Haley was present in the audience along with her husband when a question was asked from Trump about her remarks. Haley in her response to President Barack Obama's final State of the Union address had asked the countrymen to resist "the siren call of the angriest voices".
In response to her comments, Trump said, "One of your colleagues interviewed me. And said, well, she said you were angry and I said to myself, huh, she's right. I'm not fighting that. I didn't find it offensive at all. I'm angry because our country is a mess."
The Republican presidential front-runner said he and Haley are good friends.
"Okay. First of all, Nikki this afternoon said I'm a friend of hers. Actually a close friend. And wherever you are sitting Nikki, I'm a friend. We're friends. That's good," he said.
"But she did say there was anger. And I could say, oh, I'm not angry. I'm very angry because our country is being run horribly and I will gladly accept the mantle of anger. Our military is a disaster," he argued.
"Our healthcare is a horror show. Obamacare, we're going to repeal it and replace it. We have no borders. Our vets are being treated horribly. Illegal immigration is beyond belief. Our country is being run by incompetent people. And yes, I am angry," Trump said.
