Former President Donald Trump has become laser-focused on former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley before next Tuesday’s New Hampshire Republican primary election.
In Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on Wednesday, a loose and seemingly relaxed Trump, who spent the day in a New York state court for his sexual assault and defamation civil lawsuit involving E. Jean Carroll, claimed Haley was “like a Democrat.”
“In Iowa, nearly 50% of Haley voters said they plan to vote for Biden in November,” Trump claimed to a rowdy crowd. “That means that she’s like a Democrat.”
Trump was referencing an NBC News-Des Moines Register-Mediacom poll released last weekend before this week’s Iowa caucuses that found almost half of Haley’s likely caucusgoers would cast a ballot for President Joe Biden over Trump if the latter becomes the 2024 Republican nominee. New Hampshire officials permitted voters to change their registration to Republican or undeclared last October so they can take part in next week’s election.
“The radical Left Democrats are supporting Nikki Haley because they know she’s much easier to beat than Trump,” Trump said earlier. “A vote for Nikki Haley this Tuesday is a vote for Joe Biden and a Democrat Congress in November because that’s what’s going to happen.”
Trump also misread one part of his speech from the teleprompter about Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), prematurely announcing that the Florida governor had suspended his campaign when he meant that DeSantis’s super PAC Never Back Down had redirected its Nevada and other Super Tuesday resources to South Carolina in preparation for the Palmetto State’s Feb. 24 primary.
“I thought the applause was a little bit, a little bit strong,” he said. “I’ve been told he’s going to drop out pretty soon, but we’ll see. We’ll see.”
Trump similarly criticized Biden and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who is speculated to be considering another presidential bid down the road after an unsuccessful effort in 2020 against Biden.
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“This guy never fires anybody, no matter how bad they are,” Trump said of Biden after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s secret hospitalization. “Look at what’s happening with our airports. It’s a disaster. And Buttigieg … he ain’t doing too good a job. Those airports are bad. If people get a plane that’s on time, it’s like a miracle.”
Trump is hoping to win New Hampshire after trouncing Haley and DeSantis in Iowa, 51% to 19% and 21%, respectively. Haley, however, is closer to Trump in the Granite State, averaging 29% to his 43.5%.
