Indian American Republican presidential contender Nikki Haley has pushed past Florida governor Ron DeSantis to become the top alternative to Donald Trump, the Washington Post reported citing interviews with voters and operatives and polling data.
Trump remains in control, holding a wide lead in state and national surveys as he centers his campaign on stoking grievances, vowing revenge against critics if returned to power and using the four criminal indictments he faces as a rallying cry, it said.
But the jockeying in a tier below the former president has moved, with Haley pulling even with DeSantis for a distant second in all-important Iowa and holding sole possession of that spot in recent surveys of New Hampshire and her home state of South Carolina, two subsequent contests, the Post noted.
READ: Nikki Haley consolidating the ‘Never Trump’ vote: Politico (November 22, 2023)
Beyond those polling gains, which the former UN ambassador has built on well-received debate performances, Haley has also drawn fresh attention from some wealthy donors, the newspaper said.
She is getting bigger crowds on the trail with a pitch rooted in general election appeal and reversing the Republican Party’s losing streak, as well as building consensus on some divisive issues such as abortion.
But Haley faces some significant challenges in the months ahead. Her pitch to move on from Trump is out of step in a party in which he is largely beloved, according to the Post.
READ: Nikki Haley emerges second to Trump in New Hampshire poll(November 15, 2023)
She is facing attacks from critics who claim she tries to have it both ways on big issues, from her shifting stance on Trump to her lack of specifics on abortion, it said.
There are questions about the strength of her ground game, particularly in Iowa, where DeSantis and Trump have laid stronger foundations, local operatives in New Hampshire were cited as saying.
Haley’s campaign sees a calendar that lines up well enough to open a narrow path, wagering that the field will shrink by the time of the South Carolina primary, she and her allies have said, setting her up for a head-to-head contest against Trump in her home state.
But DeSantis still runs ahead of Haley in national polls, and his allies are wagering on a strong Iowa showing that could boost his chances elsewhere, the Post noted. Much of Haley’s efforts have been focused on New Hampshire, where she campaigned Monday and hit both President Joe Biden and fellow Republicans.
READ: Fundamental ideological divide with Haley: Vivek Ramaswamy(November 14, 2023)
“It’s not over-exaggerating to say the world is on fire. There’s a lot going on in our country, and it’s not good,” Haley was quoted as saying.
“There’s nothing I would love more to tell you that Biden did that to us.” She added, “But I’ve always spoken in hard truths, and I’m going to do that with you today: Our Republicans did that to us, too.”
Haley has criticized Trump in more direct terms, arguing that he cannot win the general election in 2024, the Post noted. Trump has started to attack Haley periodically, nicknaming her “birdbrain,” but still focuses most of his ire on DeSantis.
Haley’s trajectory has brought fresh scrutiny to her record and forceful attacks from opponents over her encouragement of investments from China when she was governor of South Carolina to her hawkish foreign policy views, including her support for US military aid to Ukraine, some of which are out of step with many in the increasingly isolationist Republican base.
Haley has responded to such attacks by reminding voters that she’s been underestimated before in races she later won and warning her opponents, “I kick back.”
A recent Washington Post-Monmouth University poll of New Hampshire’s Republican race showed Trump leading with 46% support, while Haley had 18%. Christie was third with 11%, and DeSantis lagged behind at 7%.
READ: Nikki Haley beats all the boys in third Republican debate (November 9, 2023)
Before New Hampshire votes, Iowa will hold its caucuses. The reputable NBC News-Des Moines Register-Mediacom Iowa poll showed that Haley and DeSantis each drew 16% support last month, with Trump at 43%. That represented a jump in support for Haley, who is not considered a natural political fit for the socially conservative state, the Post noted.
Haley’s ascent in the early states has drawn the attention of many wealthy Republican donors who want to prevent Trump from winning the Republican nomination but had been skeptical that any of his rivals had the mettle to defeat him. Some have been drawn to her views on abortion and foreign policy, including her staunch support for Israel, the Post noted.