Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has leveled accusations against Nikki Haley, asserting she is attempting to gain favor with “very liberal Democrats” in her quest for the Republican presidential nomination.
In an appearance on “One Nation with Brian Kilmeade,” DeSantis shared observations from his time at Iowa caucus sites, noting an unusual trend. “The thing was, is there were 7,000 Democrats who showed up and switched to Republican on the night of the caucus. I was at a couple of these caucus sites. These were very liberal Democrats. They had N-95 masks on. They had shirts that had liberal slogans on, and that was a core part of her strategy was to appeal to those people,” he stated.
DeSantis, who recently halted his presidential campaign after trailing behind Trump in Iowa, criticized Haley’s approach, suggesting it won’t resonate in a Republican primary. “Her strategy has been to appeal to people who are kind of stock Republicans, but that’s just not going to work in a Republican primary. It’s definitely not going to work against somebody who’s as well-known and has already been president, like Donald Trump,” he remarked.
Despite facing multiple primary defeats and growing calls to exit the race, Haley remains steadfast, dismissing the notion that her campaign path is obstructed.
DeSantis further argued that Haley’s appeal seems to be directed more towards a segment of the Republican base that aligns with the establishment, rather than the broader “conservative populist voters” that dominate the party’s current landscape. “She’s really playing to the 20% who were more of McCain, Romney, Republicans,” DeSantis noted, adding, “And look, we need a big tent. We need everyone in, but once you go in that direction, you really poisoned the well with the vast majority of Republican primary voters.”
Haley has defended her conservative credentials in response to such criticisms, emphasizing her track record. “I am a hardcore conservative. I always have been,” she asserted in a recent NBC News interview, highlighting her fiscal conservatism and achievements both as the governor of South Carolina and at the United Nations.
As the South Carolina primary looms, where Trump appears to hold significant support, Haley and Trump are set to compete in a pivotal contest that could shape the Republican nomination race.