COLUMBIA, S.C. – Nikki Haley has been making the identical argument for months — she can be a stronger Republican standard-bearer than former President Trump to tackle President Biden in November’s basic election.
”Take a look at any of the overall election polls. There was one which got here out yesterday. It mentioned that Donald Trump misplaced by seven factors to Biden,” Haley informed the group at a marketing campaign occasion in Hilton Head, South Carolina, on Thursday. ”I defeat Biden by as much as 17 factors.”
Now, the previous two-term South Carolina governor who served as U.N. ambassador through the Trump administration is throwing extra shade at her former boss.
Haley took to X to jab at Trump. She posted a photograph of the previous president in a mock Halloween costume titled ”Weakest Normal Election Candidate Ever.”
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”Democrats are ecstatic concerning the prospect of working towards Donald Trump,” Haley argued. ”They couldn’t dream up a worse basic election candidate in the event that they tried. Between his authorized drama, his horrible ballot numbers, and his confusion, Trump will hand Democrats a giant victory.”
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A few hours later, Trump went to his Fact Social platform to make the alternative case, spotlighting polls that indicated he would match up stronger than Haley towards President Biden within the basic election.
Trump marketing campaign spokesman Steven Cheung disregarded the assault, charging in a press release that ”Nikki Haley is a stone chilly loser who’s changing into extra irrelevant by the day.”
Republican presidential candidate former President Trump motions earlier than talking at a marketing campaign occasion Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Picture/John Loche)
Haley faces a steep uphill climb for the GOP nomination towards Trump, who stays the commanding frontrunner within the Republican race as he makes his third straight run for the White Home.
Trump received final month’s Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire main — the primary two contests within the GOP presidential nominating calendar — by double digits.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended his marketing campaign two days earlier than the New Hampshire main, leaving Trump and Haley because the final two main candidates in a discipline that stood at practically 15 contenders final August.
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The subsequent main contest on the Republican schedule is Haley’s dwelling state, which holds its GOP main on Feb. 24. The newest public opinion survey in South Carolina — from Monmouth College and the Washington Publish — indicated the previous president has a formidable 26-point lead over Haley.
Nonetheless, Haley, talking with Fox Information Digital on Thursday after a marketing campaign occasion at a preferred eatery within the Palmetto State’s capital metropolis, reiterated her goalposts.
”It’s nearly retaining that momentum going. We acquired 20% in Iowa. We acquired 43% in New Hampshire. Let’s convey it a little bit bit nearer in order that we are able to get nearer in to him [Trump] and make it extra aggressive going into Tremendous Tuesday,” she mentioned.
Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley, a former South Carolina governor who later served as ambassador to the United Nations, speaks with voters following a marketing campaign occasion in Columbia, South Carolina, on Feb. 1, 2024. (Fox Information – Paul Steinhauser)
Fifteen states will maintain GOP presidential nominating contests on Tremendous Tuesday, which this yr will happen on March 5. Thirty-six % of all Republican presidential delegates will probably be up for grabs in these primaries and caucuses.
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South Carolina voters surveyed within the Monmouth/Washington Publish polls mentioned they imagine Trump has a better likelihood than Haley of defeating President Biden in November. Forty-two % mentioned they imagine Trump might positively beat Biden within the basic election. Solely 21% of South Carolina Republicans mentioned Haley might positively beat Biden.
”Trump’s electability is a priority for some main voters. It’s simply that this group is nowhere close to giant sufficient to place Haley in hanging distance of the front-runner,” Patrick Murray, director of the impartial Monmouth College Polling Institute, mentioned in a press release.
Longtime Republican pollster Neil Newhouse informed Fox Information that ”Republican main voters do not vote on who they assume has the perfect likelihood to beat Biden… Republican main voters vote on coverage and character, not on electability.”
Newhouse, a veteran of a number of GOP presidential campaigns, argued that spotlighting electability is ”typically the final dying cry of a average Republican who’s on the point of lose.”
Fox Information’ James Levinson contributed to this report.