Nikki Haley To Opponent: They ‘Know We’re Surging’

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley is unfazed by the attacks she has gotten in her race to become the Republican Party’s 2024 presidential nominee. In an exclusive interview with Fox News Channel’s Martha MacCallum on “The Story,” Haley addressed recent attacks from her political opponents, confidently asserting that her campaign is gaining momentum.

During the interview, Haley took aim at Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who had criticized her record as the governor of South Carolina. Responding to DeSantis’ remarks, she suggested that it all boils down to him losing.

“I mean, who else can spend $100 million and drop half in the polls. My record as governor is clear. I took a state that had 11% unemployment, we dropped it down to four percent. We were known as the Beast of the Southeast because we created so many jobs and brought so many companies in. . . . I’m proud of my record. South Carolinians should be proud of our record,” she stated.

The interview also touched on recent comments by California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who suggested that DeSantis should drop out of the presidential race. When asked if she agrees with the Democrat governor, she stated, “I’ve always said it’s a personal decision to get into a race, it’s a personal decision to get out of a race. I’m never going to tell a candidate to get out of the race. That’s their decision.”

She, however, stressed her campaign’s strong performance in the polls, being second in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.

Responding to former President Donald Trump’s remarks, where he referred to her as “bird brain” and accused her of being a globalist, Haley remained unfazed. She stated, “Look, all these guys know that we’re surging in the polls so they’re all starting to hit.”

Haley celebrates momentum as GOP rivals ramp up attacks: 'These guys know we're surging' https://t.co/9fR0XeEAOW

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Haley went on to defend her strong stance on China during her time as the ambassador to the United Nations in the Trump administration. She stated that she was tougher on China than Trump, highlighting her efforts to address issues such as the fentanyl flow, intellectual property theft, land acquisition and espionage in U.S. universities.

In her words: “But you look at everything else he says, he knows how strong I was when it came to China. I was actually tougher on China than he was. He just handled the trade part of China, but he didn’t do anything about the fentanyl flow, he didn’t do anything about them stealing intellectual property, he didn’t do anything about them buying U.S. land, he didn’t do anything about defeating all of the intrusion that was happening in our universities from police stations to creating a spy center off the coast of Cuba. We’re gonna have to deal with all of that because he didn’t deal with any of it.”

Despite facing attacks from other candidates, Haley’s campaign has been gaining momentum as she recently secured over 70 new endorsements in Iowa and launched a $10 million ad campaign in Iowa and New Hampshire, further boosting her visibility in these key states. In New Hampshire and South Carolina, she has surpassed DeSantis, and in Iowa, she is neck-and-neck with him in the latest polls.

Trump, however, continues to maintain a commanding lead in the race, as a recent Messenger/Harris poll shows him leading with 68% support, 61% more support than Haley received and 59% more than DeSantis’.