Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley has defended her decision to pose for a picture with trans-identified celebrity Caitlyn Jenner after the two became the subject of a Twitter thread discussing the downfall of the Republican Party.

In a tweet Saturday, Twitter user @rightwingsavag2 asked: “If you could summarize the downfall of the @gop in one photo what would it look like? And why is it this photo?”

The tweet was accompanied by a photo of Haley, who later served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations under former President Donald Trump, standing beside former Olympic athlete Bruce Jenner, who for the last several years has identified as Caitlyn.

The user answered his or her own question as to why that picture captured the downfall of the Republican Party, declaring: “We became trans to own the libs. Checkmate bigots. -Republicans 2021.”

Actor Dean Cain, a prominent Hollywood conservative, retweeted the post, accompanied by the caption “Dang it. I laughed.”

In response to Cain’s tweet, Haley responded by tweeting, “I don’t find it funny.”

“Caitlin came to see me at the UN and I appreciated her conservative views," Haley wrote. "I will continue to think that the Republican Party is one of conservative views by all people regardless of the demographics. To me, that’s not funny, it’s America.”

Cain replied: 

“The humor, and what I found funny – was the way the tweet was worded. Had nothing to do with conservative views, or you, or Caitlin, or the UN, or America. Caitlin and I have been friends for decades.”