Nikki Haley uses ‘SNL’ appearance to poke fun at Civil War gaffe

WASHINGTON — Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley poked fun at herself over a campaign misstep, but her primary target during a “Saturday Night Live” appearance was Donald Trump, joining in a skit that mocked a stand-in for the former president over his refusal to debate her and questioned his mental fitness.

“Had a blast tonight on SNL! Know it was past Donald’s bedtime so looking forward to the stream of unhinged tweets in the a.m.,” Haley posted on X, formerly Twitter, early Sunday.

The segment is a faux CNN town hall with Trump in Columbia, South Carolina, which holds the next nominating contest on Feb. 24. “SNL’s” Kenan Thompson and Punkie Johnson play hosts Charles Barkley and Gayle King, respectively, and James Austin Johnson is Trump.

Haley, a former South Carolina governor, is an audience member who is introduced as “someone who describes herself as a concerned South Carolina voter” when she is called upon to question the candidate.

“My…