Haley hints at Iowa defeat with cryptic message to New Hampshire voters

Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley‘s momentum in Iowa has ebbed and flowed, and a cryptic shot at voters there may have revealed her doubts she is in a position to win the contest.

Haley, who has gained ground on Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) but still sits 2 points behind him and more than 35 points behind front-runner former President Donald Trump, told a crowd of New Hampshire voters on Wednesday that they will “correct” Iowa’s Republican presidential choice, in reference to the state’s primary taking place one week after Iowa’s caucuses.

NIKKI HALEY KEEPS ONE EYE ON IOWA AS SHE SEEKS TO WIN NEW HAMPSHIRE PRIMARY

“You know Iowa starts it. You know that you correct it,” she said during an event in Milford, New Hampshire. The remark was met by applause from attendees. “And then my sweet state of South Carolina brings it home. That’s what we do.”

DeSantis’s campaign quickly amplified her comment, calling it “unreal.”

“Nikki Haley belittles Iowa caucusgoers — claiming their decisions will need to be corrected by New Hampshire voters,” DeSantis War Room wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Prominent DeSantis endorser Gov. Kim Reynolds (R-IA) also hit the former ambassador’s statement, writing on X, “I trust Iowans to make their own decisions. No ‘corrections’ needed!”

DeSantis communications director Andrew Romeo piled on, accusing her of “insulting Iowans” ahead of the caucuses.

“While the pressure mounts on Nikki Haley and the Wall Street donors bankrolling her to buy the strong second-place finish in Iowa that her top surrogate is predicting, her closing argument is insulting Iowans by saying their votes will need to be corrected. Meanwhile, Ron DeSantis is closing strong in Iowa by outworking and outorganizing the competition day in and day out,” he wrote on X.

Haley’s campaign did not provide comment to the Washington Examiner.

The Iowa caucuses will take place in less than two weeks on Jan. 15 and will be closely followed by the New Hampshire primary on Jan. 23.

Iowa and New Hampshire have a mixed history of predicting eventual nominees for the Democratic and Republican parties and the eventual presidents. South Carolina, which has historically had a later primary ahead of Super Tuesday, boasts a more accurate record of selecting nominees and eventual presidents.

A rivalry has always existed between the two early nominating states, which covet their roles in vetting presidential candidates and setting the tone for the primaries and caucuses across the country.

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During a different event in Londonderry, New Hampshire, on Wednesday, Haley’s recent endorser, Gov. Chris Sununu (R-NH), said Haley would “shock everyone in Iowa with a strong second.” The DeSantis campaign quickly moved to hold Haley to this expectation, setting her up for disappointment if she doesn’t finish as well as Sununu promised.

“Having a strong second-place finish was always our goal,” Sununu told the crowd. “We’ve got that wrapped up, guys. … We’re gonna win.”