She is now in the spotlight.
In a significant strategic move ahead of New Hampshire’s primary, Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign has shifted its approach by targeting Nikki Haley, a Republican contender, directly through a new ad aired in the state. This ad, a 30-second spot reviewed by NBC News, marks the first explicit criticism by Trump’s campaign against Haley, a former Trump administration official, in the run-up to the January 23 primary.
The advertisement attempts to draw parallels between Haley’s immigration stance and that of President Joe Biden, highlighting their opposition to key Trump policies, including the border wall and the visitor ban from countries termed as terrorist nations. It suggests that both Biden and Haley were against these measures, emphasizing alleged warnings about potential terrorist infiltration through the southern border. The ad seeks to position Haley’s alignment with Biden against Trump’s policies as a threat to national security while praising Trump’s perceived strength in protecting the country.
Despite Haley gaining momentum in New Hampshire’s polls, her numbers continue to trail Trump, the leading candidate for the GOP nomination. Nationally, a recent NBC News poll noted a rise in Republican voter support for Haley from 7% in September to 13% in November.
Pro-Trump political action committees have launched ad campaigns to counter Haley’s growing popularity. Trump’s campaign has also focused recent fundraising efforts on targeting Haley, who, in response, interprets these actions as a recognition by Trump that she poses a real challenge to his candidacy and is gaining momentum.
Haley, known for her willingness to pardon Trump if convicted of federal crimes, sees Trump’s recent efforts against her as a sign of nervousness. Despite previous speculations about a potential partnership between Trump and Haley, she remains resolute in her campaign, stating her commitment to running a robust campaign and not aiming for a secondary position in the race.
