Former Presidential candidate Ron DeSantis has accused Nikki Haley of purposely courting “very liberal” voters. Speaking to Brian Kilmeade on Fox News, DeSantis said he saw the kind of people Haley is attracting at campaign events, some of whom wore t-shirts with liberal slogans. The Floridian mentioned the Iowa caucuses as an example and said thousands of liberals turned up to support Haley.
“Her strategy has been to appeal to people who are kind of stock Republicans,” DeSantis argued, adding that she is courting the “McCain, Romney” faction of the party, which amounts to only around 20%. The Florida Governor concluded that when a GOP candidate goes in that direction, there is no way back and no way to appeal to the broader conservative base.
DeSantis pulled out of the race and endorsed former President Trump after he came second in the New Hampshire primaries. Nikki Haley, who came third in the Hawkeye State, insists she will not withdraw despite growing demands from fellow Republicans. In January, Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel added her name to the list of GOP officials urging Haley to back out and support the former President. But Haley continues to stand her ground as hostility between the remaining candidates heats up.
In February, Ms. Haley exacerbated tensions when she refused to confirm that she would support Trump if he wins the nomination. The former South Carolina Governor told Jonathan Karl on ABC that her sole focus is defeating Mr. Trump in the primary race, and the “last thing” on her mind is whether she’ll back the former President in his White House bid. “I’m running against him because I don’t think he should be president,” she said.
The remarks signify a rethink of her previous position. Last year, Haley said she would back Trump because she did not want to see Kamala Harris in the Oval Office; she has repeatedly argued that a vote for Biden is a vote for Harris.
