Nikki Haley refuses to condemn Trump’s sexual abuse of E Jean Carroll

GOP presidential primary candidate Nikki Haley dodged commenting on Donald Trump's legal battle with columnist E Jean Carroll, saying she hasn't «looked at» the case.

Ms Haley, a former UN Ambassador, sat down with CNN on Tuesday. When asked about the E Jean Carroll defamation case, she denied having knowledge of its details.

“You’re the only woman in this race. How do you feel about your party’s front-runner being held liable for sexual abuse?” CNN’s Dana Bash asked Ms Haley.

“First of all, I haven’t paid attention to his cases, and I’m not a lawyer,” she responded. “All I know is that he’s innocent until proven guilty, and when he’s proven guilty, and he’s sitting in a courtroom — that’s exactly what I’m talking about. You’ve got investigations on Trump and Biden.”

Bash pushed her on the issue, noting that many Republicans dismiss Ms Carroll's case as a «witch hunt.»

“Some of the cases have been political.… Look, if he’s found guilty then he needs to pay the price, he needs to do what he’s supposed to,” Ms Haley said. “Every one of these cases, they need to be heard out, he needs to defend himself. If he’s found guilty, he’s gonna pay the price. If he’s not found guilty, then we move forward. What I will tell you is that I’m focused on the economy, the border, and education, and getting our country back on track.”

She then suggested that Mr Trump's criminal cases were a «distraction» from more pressing national issues.

“If he’s sitting in a courtroom, that goes back to what I’m saying,” Ms Haley said. “We can’t continue to be distracted. We can’t continue to be in chaos. We have a country to save.”

That comment falls in line with her recent campaign advertising, which suggests Democrats want Mr Trump to win the