Former Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley believes there is no path for Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) to become the Republican nominee for president in 2024, as she is beating the governor in key battleground states and is neck-and-neck with him in others.
Haley's strategy to defeat DeSantis on the primary debate stage on Wednesday focuses heavily on his inability to win the necessary votes in states such as South Carolina or New Hampshire where, behind former President Donald Trump, Haley is steadily in second place. In a campaign memo obtained by Politico, Haley's campaign manager Betsy Ankney argued that her candidate was the only "viable" Trump alternative.
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Ankney highlighted in a three-page memo that Haley and DeSantis were tied in Iowa after a poll found that the pair both received 16% of the vote. But it is Haley's rise that sticks out in the poll, climbing from 6% in August to 16% in October, while DeSantis declined from 19% to 16%. She also polled 22% in her home state of South Carolina, an increase from previous measures, as DeSantis received 11%.
The former South Carolina governor's campaign manager said that with the Iowa caucuses two months away and the New Hampshire primary quickly following, "Nikki Haley is the only candidate who is positioned to do well in both."
"EVEN IF DeSantis were to do well in Iowa, which is a big 'if' given his current decline, he is in such a weak position in New Hampshire and South Carolina that it doesn’t matter. He has no end game," she added.
Ankney played on Haley's position as the underdog, particularly noting that many people believed DeSantis would be Trump's strongest challenger in the 2024 primary.
"And then America met Ron DeSantis," Haley's campaign manager wrote. "Since he launched his campaign, his support has only declined."
Bryan Griffin, press secretary for DeSantis's campaign, said the Florida governor is "over the target and primed to win this nomination."
"Ron DeSantis has a stronger combination of endorsements, fundraising, and ground game in the early states than any other candidate. Meanwhile, Nikki Haley struggles to answer for her abysmal record on China, accepting refugees from Gaza, and the U.N.," Griffin told the Washington Examiner. "This is a two-man race. Team Trump knows it — that's why they're spending over $1 million this week alone to attack DeSantis in Iowa despite proclaiming the primary was 'over' in August. And the other candidates know it, too."
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The memo comes ahead of Wednesday's debate, which is the third primary debate for the GOP candidates. The crowd onstage will be significantly smaller compared to the last two debates. Haley, DeSantis, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie are the only four who have qualified. Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) said he has qualified for the event, but the RNC has not confirmed whether he will be onstage.
While Trump has met the threshold for donors and polls, he has refused to sign the pledge agreeing to support the Republican nominee regardless of who is chosen. He has boycotted the debates and run counterprograms, such as prime-time interviews. The former president plans to hold a rally in Florida hours before the debate on Wednesday.