In the lead-up to the Iowa caucuses for the 2024 Republican presidential primary, the race appears to be dominated by former President Donald J. Trump.
However, there is a fierce battle for second place between former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Despite Trump’s overwhelming lead in the polls, Haley and DeSantis continue to go after each other as much as they do Trump.
Iowa, traditionally seen as a state where Trump’s support is not as strong, was seen as an opportunity for the other candidates to slow down Trump’s momentum. However, their efforts to challenge Trump have fallen short, at least in the polls.
Trump enjoys 51% in December’s Des Moines Register/NBC News/Mediacom Iowa Poll, leading the field by 32 percentage points.
Read: Florida Gov. DeSantis: Full ‘State Of The State’ Address
The Battle for Second Place
While Trump maintains his position as the front-runner, the battle for second place between Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis has intensified.
Both candidates have launched aggressive attacks against each other, hoping to secure the position as the leading alternative to Trump.
Haley’s pro-Haley super PAC has spent millions attacking DeSantis in Iowa, while a pro-DeSantis super PAC has funded attacks on Haley in the state.
This has created a circular firing squad dynamic among the candidates vying for second place.
Haley Gains Momentum
Nikki Haley has recently gained momentum in her campaign, consolidating support among more moderate Republicans.
Her fundraising efforts have been successful, with a significant influx of cash at a critical juncture. The Koch brothers’ political network has also pledged substantial financial support for Haley’s campaign.
This surge in momentum has put her in a strong position to challenge both DeSantis and Trump in the upcoming primaries.
Read: Former South Carolina Gov. Haley Blasts Biden, Saying He “Palled Around With Segregationists”
Verbal Missteps and Challenges
Despite her growing momentum, Haley has faced some verbal missteps in recent days. Her comments about New Hampshire “correcting” Iowa’s vote and changing personalities as the calendar turns to the second voting state have raised eyebrows.
DeSantis’s campaign has been quick to capitalize on these missteps, hoping to gain an advantage in the battle for second place.
At a town hall event in Iowa hosted by Fox News, Haley denounced Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for recent attacks that linked Haley to Hillary Clinton.
Haley denied, contrary to what the DeSantis camp has recently highlighted, that she drew inspiration to enter politics from Clinton.
“DeSantis is desperate. He’s lying because he’s losing,” she told hosts Martha MacCallum and Bret Baier. “The problem is if you have to lie to win, you don’t deserve to win.”
Read: New Jersey Gov Seeks To Restrict Bus Companies Used By Texas For Migrant Transports
“I never said Hillary Clinton was an inspiration. What I said when I was talking to a group of women, who were looking at running for office, I said the same thing about her that I said about Sarah Palin. And that is when I was looking to run, everybody told me why I couldn’t do it.”
Haley then recalled that she attended a women’s leadership forum at Furman University in South Carolina, where Clinton was a featured speaker.
“I have never agreed with a single thing Hillary Clinton has ever said and I said that, too. But Ron forgot to put that in the ad,” Haley continued. “But what I’ll tell you is, she ended it by saying, for every reason they tell you not to run, that’s exactly the reason you should. And I left there and said that’s it. I’m running for office. I had never been politically active. I had never been involved in politics.”
“But I’ll say that’s the problem with politicians. Rather than talking about what they can do, they just want to talk up and make things up that I — that they are saying that I said.”
The problem for Haley, however, is that she is on tape saying it.
On X, DeSantis War Room, the account belonging to the governor’s media team, posted a video. In the clip, Haley clearly says, “I often say that the reason I got into politics was because of Hillary Clinton.”
Read: Florida Gov. DeSantis Blasts Haley For Saying New Hampshire Must “Correct” Iowa GOP Votes
As the clip continues, Haley says she didn’t know Clinton, but had met her years earlier.
She then seems to recall that women’s political forum, and notes, “At that event, she inspired me to run for office and make my voice heard.”
That was apparently a quote from Haley’s 2019 memoir, “With All Due Respect.”
In still another clip, Haley is shown saying, “She is actually the reason I made the jump” into politics.
Later in the video, when a reporter mentioned that Haley saw Clinton as a “big inspiration,” she again recalled Clinton’s appearance at Furman and noted that she decided to run for office after Clinton’s speech.
DeSantis War Room then posted reminders of Haley’s other recent flubs, including her gaffe about slavery not causing the Civil War, her saying New Hampshire voters needed to “correct” the outcome in Iowa, and confusing Iowa Hawkeyes basketball star Caitlin Clark with CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins.
In one item DeSantis did not reference, Haley last week, while on the hot seat for the slavery miscue, tried to wriggle out of it by saying she “had black friends growing up.”
Donald Trump’s attacks on Nikki Haley have intensified as she emerges as a potential threat to his front-runner status.
Trump has accused Haley of selling him out and being in the pocket of establishment donors. He has characterized her as a globalist, emphasizing his “America first” approach.
Tactical Maneuvers and Advertising Blitz
The Republican candidates, their campaigns, and super PACs have engaged in a flurry of tactical maneuvers and advertising blitzes in the early primary states.
Trump’s super PAC has launched mailers in New Hampshire linking Haley to Trump’s MAGA agenda, while attacking Chris Christie as an anti-Trump Republican.
The DeSantis campaign has also been active in attacking Haley on various issues.
These strategic moves aim to sway independent voters and maintain Trump’s lead in the crucial early primary states.
Debates and Rivalries
As Trump has chosen to bypass the debates, the remaining candidates have been left to fight among themselves.
The upcoming one-on-one debate between Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis on CNN will be a critical moment in the battle for second place.
Both candidates have their strengths and weaknesses, and this debate will provide an opportunity for them to differentiate themselves from each other.
Trump, on the other hand, will host a town hall on Fox News, further solidifying his position as the front-runner.
Android Users, Click To Download The Free Press App And Never Miss A Story. Follow Us On Facebook and Twitter. Sign up for our free newsletter.
We can’t do this without your help. Visit our GiveSendGo page and donate any dollar amount; every penny helps.