Nikki Haley has not been having a good last couple of days. 

As my colleague Jennifer Oliver O'Connell noted, she gave an answer on the Civil War that caused an uproar and may truly hurt her campaign because she failed to mention slavery when asked about its causes. 

Then she seemed to get into more trouble when she tried to clean up the answer, saying of course it was about slavery, but then accusing the person of asking the question of being a Democratic plant. 

Haley's Explanation for Civil War Question Snafu: 'A Democrat Plant' Made Me Do It

Then, astonishingly, Haley claimed it was a "Democrat plant," who asked the question and that Biden's campaign is after her because she's the only candidate who can win.

“It was definitely a Democrat plant,” said Haley. “That’s why I said, what does it mean to you? And if you notice, he didn’t answer anything. The same reason he didn’t tell the reporters what his name was.”

In front of a North Conway, NH, crowd later that morning, Haley sounded even more "nuanced," referencing "the lesson" and "bigger issue," behind the Civil War. The "lesson of what it means to be a free individual."

Even if you think someone might be a plant, that's probably not a good response to giving an answer that didn't go over well since the answer was still hers. 

But then again on Thursday, she got a question that put her on the spot by a nine-year-old boy. 

Kid in the audience to Nikki Haley: “You’re basically the new John Kerry”

pic.twitter.com/08BnS63u8R

— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) December 28, 2023

“Chris Christie thinks you’re a flip-flopper on the Donald Trump issue, and honestly, I agree with him. You’re basically the new John Kerry,” the child told Haley in the ski town of North Conway as the audience laughed. “How can you change your opinion like that in just eight years, and will you pardon Donald Trump?”

Oh, my, that's a question. I'm just thinking that comparing someone to John Kerry is not a compliment since he's known for being wrong on so much. Haley held it together, with a smile frozen on her face, but she couldn't have anticipated getting that kind of a question from a nine-year-old. 

First, she complimented him on the question, asking him his name and age. Then she said that she agreed with a lot of Trump's policies but didn't think he was the right person going forward, saying, “We can’t handle the chaos anymore.”

She then attacked Chris Christie, saying he was "obsessed" with attacking Trump, and tried to scold the young boy for comparing her to Kerry. 

“I mean God bless him, he’s a friend. He’s obsessed with Trump,” she said. “He sleeps, eats and breathes it, every day. I’m thinking bigger than that. If we do that, we’re no different than Trump.” 

Haley also affirmed that she would pardon Trump for any alleged offenses he’s committed “in the interest of the country,” after scolding the child that she was “no John Kerry.”

“What’s in the best interest of the country is not to have an 80-year-old man sitting in jail that continues to divide our country,” she said.

The answer wasn't great. You're not convincing Trump supporters to vote for you when you keep attacking him. But it almost didn't matter because the question just did her in.

When the entire room is laughing at you it's probably not a good thing.