Former Ambassador Nikki Haley told an audience in New Hampshire that her Republican opponents and some in the field were upset over comments she made to an audience in New Hampshire that suggested Iowa would “start” the election process and New Hampshire would “fix” it. has faced criticism from Iowans.
“We have a chance to get this right, and I know we can get it right,” Haley told a large audience listening in on Wednesday while campaigning in Milford, New Hampshire. “And I trust you. I trust each and every one of you.” “You know how to do this. You know Iowa is starting it. You know you'll fix it.”
The comment did not sit well with some Iowa caucus attendees who lean toward Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Mark Putney of Fayette County, Iowa, responded to Haley's remarks, saying, “Rooted in the history of hard-working Iowans, Iowa has always been the heartbeat of the nation and the origin of the term Heartland.” said.
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Republican presidential candidate and former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley holds a town hall meeting in Nevada, Iowa on March 9, 2023. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
“Nikki Haley's comments are an insult to Iowans like me, who are proud to be the first in the nation to caucus. The next president must be someone who values Iowans, and his campaign He's not the type of person to look down on us just because we didn't do well.”
“As an Iowan and as someone who attended the caucuses,” said Brenda Sandberg of Benton County, Iowa, “I'm angry, but not surprised.”
“Nikki Haley has shown herself to be completely out of touch with rural America, and she is not qualified to be President of the United States.”
“I'm tired of elitist politicians who think they know better than the people they're supposed to serve,” said Lori Tiangko of Polk County, Iowa. “It's not us that needs to be fixed, it's Ms. Haley. Our voices will be heard on January 15th.”
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Former Ambassador Nikki Haley (Peter Zai/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
DeSantis addressed the issue Thursday in a radio interview with KFAB.
“I think it was very disrespectful to Iowans to say that their votes needed to be cited and corrected in some way,” DeSantis said. “I think she's trying to make excuses for her not doing well on her own. You know, her allies and she's spent a huge amount of money here.
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“A lot of this money is coming from liberal donors on Wall Street and California, who have supported liberal Democrats in the past, and what's attracted to Nikki Haley is that she's in Washington, D.C. Because I know I'm not going to change anything.”
“She's been governor for six years. What accomplishments has she accomplished in South Carolina? Literally nothing. Her main accomplishment is bringing Chinese investment to the state, which is a major accomplishment for the Republican Party.” It's a huge contrast to Governor Reynolds' leadership.'' But I thought what she said to Iowans was very disrespectful.'' ”
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis addresses Iowa voters on March 10, 2023 in Des Moines, Iowa. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
In response to a request for comment from Fox News Digital, Haley's campaign noted that the reaction of the Iowa caucus participants who supported Haley was unfazed by the “light-hearted jokes.”
“It was a light-hearted joke to stir up tension between Iowa and New Hampshire,” said Iowa Congressman Austin Harris. “Her opponents are obviously desperate and scared because she's going up in her polls. So they'll grab whatever they can.”
“That's what we love about Nikki: She's not a script, she's a real person,” said Emily Schmidt, general counsel for Skup Manufacturing. “If her opponents are attacking her based on her casual remarks, that's because we already knew she had her momentum and the support of Iowans. This is further evidence.”
“The media outrage over this, like most things, is completely divorced from the reality on the ground in Iowa,” said Iowa Sen. Chris Cournoyer. “Nikki Haley continues to rally support from caucus participants ahead of January 15th. She has visited more than 70 town halls across the state and taken questions directly from residents. In short, Ms. Haley stands to perform very well on caucus day.”
Haley is voting Approximately two weeks before the Iowa caucuses, the poll was 16.1%, ranking third behind former President Trump at 51.3% and DeSantis at 18.6%.
Fox News Digital's Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report
