The rival Republican presidential campaign blasted former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley on social media during and after her participation in a Fox News town hall.
Haley spoke in front of a live audience a week before the upcoming infamous Iowa caucuses, with Bret Baier, chief political anchor for “Special Report,” and Martha, editor-in-chief and anchor of “The Story,” He participated in a one-hour Fox News town hall moderated by McCollum. week.
The former South Carolina governor touched on the border and inflation while answering questions from Hawkeye Staters. She also took aim at some of her leading Republican rivals, including former President Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. She also attacked President Biden.
Haley has objected, but has not ruled out becoming President Trump's running mate.
Nikki Haley, US Republican presidential candidate and former ambassador to the United Nations, speaks at a town hall meeting hosted by FOX News in Des Moines, Iowa, on January 8, 2024. (Photo by Christian Monterrosa/AFP)
But Haley's rivals exchanged words as the former governor appealed to Iowans and voters nationwide and former President Trump slammed Haley. truth on social over her comment that she punched the former president “fairly and squarely.”
“Nikki Haley said I was a great president and would never run against me, but all she said was that I shouldn't be taken off the ballot,” she said. “He will defeat me fair and square,” Trump wrote. .
“Her only problem is that a new Morning Consult poll that was recently released shows me leading her in Iowa by 43 points,” Trump said in a statement that included a screenshot of the poll numbers. I wrote it in a post. “Also, it's interesting that I'm up her 8 points and she's only up her 4 points, while Ron DeSanctimonious is down her 4 points. This is the line for Ron. It could be the end.”
Trump continued: “I want to congratulate 'Ida' Hutchinson on the fact that he broke the ice after seven straight months of zero and is now firmly at 1%.” “Sloppy Chris Christie is 'dead'!”
Former President Donald Trump speaks at a rally in Dubuque, Iowa, Wednesday, September 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Charlie Neighborgal)
Tricia McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswami, told Fox News Digital that Ramaswami was “busy meeting with Iowans for her fifth campaign of the day while Nikki Haley canceled her event.” He said he “didn't see” Haley's City Hall because of ” He repeatedly criticized her on social media Monday for canceling a Monday morning event in Sioux City due to a snowstorm.
Carly Acheson, a spokeswoman for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' presidential campaign, told Fox News Digital: “Nikki Haley initially told Iowans that New Hampshire voters would 'correct' their votes. I insulted her, but tonight she just lied to my face.”
“Ms. Haley continues to show how little respect she has for the state of Iowa, and every day she gives Iowans new reasons to reject her on caucus night,” Acheson said. .
DeSantis' rapid response team also opened fire during the event, targeting Haley's truth.
“'If you have to lie to win, you don't deserve to win,' Nikki Haley told Iowa caucus attendees right before she lied.”
“'I never said Hillary Clinton was my inspiration!'” the account continued. “Are you sure, Nikki? Let's put some tape on it.”
The post included a video of Ms. Haley's response to Ms. DeSantis' attack ad criticizing Ms. Haley for past comments about former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Haley accused DeSantis of “lying” about her comments.
“Nikki Haley said Ron DeSantis didn’t deserve to win because he told the truth,” the DeSantis War Room wrote. Another post. “That's an interesting observation.”
“DeSantis is desperate,” Haley said Monday. “He's lying because he's losing. But the problem is, if you have to lie to win, you don't deserve to win. I've never considered Hillary Clinton an inspiration. I didn't say that. That's what I said when I was talking to a group of women considering running for office. I said the same thing about her that I said about Sarah Palin. .That was when I was about to run. Everybody was telling me why I couldn't run.”
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley got into a heated argument during Wednesday night's fourth Republican presidential primary debate over their past positions on bathroom access for transgender people. . (Getty Images)
A spokeswoman for Haley's campaign echoed her boss's sentiments, saying it was “very gratifying” that her Republican rivals were paying so much attention to her.
“As Nikki said tonight, it would be very nice for her opponent to pay this much attention to her,” Haley's spokeswoman Annemarie Graham-Burns told Fox News Digital. “This is a sure sign that she's on her feet and they're getting more and more desperate.”
Former President Trump's campaign also attacked Haley during a city council meeting on China, posting an image accusing the former ambassador of giving “free land” to a company run by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
“Nikki Haley gave 197 acres of free land to a Chinese company run by the Chinese Communist Party,” the Trump campaign wrote. Haley has been criticized for her business with China as governor of South Carolina.
Haley's town hall comes as she and other Republican presidential candidates trek through Iowa ahead of the infamous caucuses.
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She's not the only candidate taking the stage at a Fox News town hall this week. Mr. DeSantis and Mr. Trump are scheduled to hold town halls on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively.
Fox News Digital's Andrew Mark Miller contributed reporting.
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