Nikki Haley made headlines this summer for backing an effort to remove the Confederate flag from South Carolina statehouse grounds. | POLITICO Screen grab Haley swipes at Trump in State of the Union response

South Carolina Republican Gov. Nikki Haley offered a not-so-subtle rebuke of Donald Trump's fiery immigration rhetoric as part of her response to President Barack Obama's Tuesday State of the Union speech — winning widespread praise for gracefully taking on the GOP frontrunner.

While a good chunk of her rebuttal covered the usual Republican objections to Obama's policies, from national security to Obamacare to economic policy, Haley's response seemed aimed directly at Trump as she tried to distance Republicans from some of his comments without naming him directly.

“Today, we live in a time of threats like few others in recent memory. During anxious times, it can be tempting to follow the siren call of the angriest voices,” Haley said on Tuesday, adding that she is "the proud daughter of Indian immigrants who reminded my brothers, my sister and me every day how blessed we were to live in this country.”

Trump has rocketed to the top of the polls despite a series of controversial immigration statements, including a call to ban Muslim immigrants from entering the U.S. that's been criticized by mainstream Republicans. It's the kind of rhetoric that's made many Republicans nervous about the future of the party as they strive to diversify.

“We must resist that temptation," Haley said. "No one who is willing to work hard, abide by our laws, and love our traditions should ever feel unwelcome in this country."

Republicans chose Haley, a potential 2016 vice presidential running-mate for the GOP nominee, to deliver their message to the public following Obama’s last State of the Union address to Congress, putting her in the spotlight just as veepstates speculation heats up. Some believe she could be the running mate for candidates Chris Christie, Marco Rubio or Jeb Bush, should any of them win the nomination.

And while the GOP rebuttal traditionally blasts the sitting president for his proposed policies, Haley also echoed, at least broadly, some of Obama's own comments about the risks of fear-mongering. Observers on both sides of the aisle immediately praised Haley for her poised delivery and nuanced message.

“Great job @nikkihaley ! Fantastic balance and substance. Our party is the new, young and diverse party,” tweeted RNC Chairman Reince Priebus.

Haley made headlines this summer for backing an effort to remove the Confederate flag from statehouse grounds following the racially-motivated massacre of several blacks in an African American church. Since then, she’s only risen in prominence.

She brought up the tragedy in her speech Tuesday, citing her state's reaction to the shooting as an example of how to react to a tough and ugly situation.

“We didn’t have violence, we had vigils. We didn’t have riots, we had hugs. We didn’t turn against each other’s race or religion; we turned toward God,” she said. “We removed a symbol that was being used to divide us, and we found a strength that united us against a domestic terrorist and the hate that filled him.”

She continued, again seeming to hit at Trump for his reactionary responses to difficult predicaments: "There’s a tendency to falsely equate noise with results. Some people think that you have to be the loudest voice in the room to make a difference. That is just not true. Often, the best thing we can do is turn down the volume."

The GOP rebuttal has been a stumbling block for some Republicans, most recently for GOP candidate Marco Rubio, who three years ago was widely mocked for chugging water in the middle of his speech. When Haley got the nod for rebuttal, he texted her: “Make sure you drink water beforehand.”

Haley's speech aimed to strike a delicate balance, cheer leading for conservative policies but also distancing the party from Trump.

Speaking from Columbia, the South Carolina capital city, she praised Obama’s election as one that “broke historic barriers and inspired millions of Americans,” before quickly transitioning to a criticism, saying he “has often fallen far short of his soaring words.” She also flicked at the anti-Washington sentiment, what she called the “frustrations” with “promises made and never kept” — even pointing a finger at unnamed fellow Republicans.

“We need to be honest with each other, and with ourselves: while Democrats in Washington bear much responsibility for the problems facing America today, they do not bear it alone. There is more than enough blame to go around,” she said. "We as Republicans need to own that truth…. recognize our contributions to the erosion of the public trust in America’s leadership. We need to accept that we’ve played a role in how and why our government is broken.”

Her retort made it clear that Republicans want to take the nation in a different direction, just as the 2016 presidential campaign heats up and caucus-goers prepare to cast the first votes in a few weeks. While the GOP nominee is still a big question mark, Republicans on the Hill have tried to rally the party around a host of conservative ideas they hope will bolster their party’s bid to win back the White House in the fall. Haley touched on many of those.

There was plenty of red meat for the right sprinkled in, too, of course. She knocked high taxes saying “if we held the White House, taxes would be lower for working families." She dug at Obamacare as a "disastrous health care program" that the GOP would replace.

And she threw a bone to gun-rights advocates and conservatives, just a few days after Obama announced new gun regulations. Republicans, she said, “would recognize the importance of the separation of powers and honor the Constitution in its entirety. And yes, that includes the Second and Tenth Amendments.”

Haley also knocked Obama for not protecting the nation from terror and feeding the national debt.

“We’re feeling a crushing national debt, a health care plan that has made insurance less affordable and doctors less available, and chaotic unrest in many of our cities,” Haley said. “Even worse, we are facing the most dangerous terrorist threat our nation has seen since September 11th, and this president appears either unwilling or unable to deal with it.”

State of the Union 2016 full Republican response

She also added a caveat after her comments about welcoming immigrants, saying “at the same time, that does not mean we just flat out open our borders.”

“We cannot continue to allow immigrants to come here illegally, and in this age of terrorism, we must not let in refugees whose intentions cannot be determined,” she said. “That means stopping illegal immigration. And it means welcoming properly vetted legal immigrants, regardless of their race or religion.”

She said Republicans would strengthen the military, too, "so both our friends and our enemies would know that America seeks peace, but when we fight wars we win them.”

