Nikki Haley calls herself ‘best hope of stopping Trump-Biden nightmare’

Even as Indian American Republican presidential contender Nikki Haley failed to arrest Donald Trump’s landslide win in Iowa, she spun her third-place finish to claim she was the “last best hope of stopping Trump-Biden nightmare.”

Coming out to her caucus night event in a not-quite full ballroom at the West Des Moines Marriott, Haley congratulated the former president on his win, but claimed her close third-place result had made her campaign a head-to-head race with Trump.

“I can safely say tonight Iowa made this Republican primary a two-person race,” said Haley who with 20% vote finished slightly behind Florida governor Ron DeSantis with 21%, to applause and cheering.

Haley announced that she is heading to New Hampshire, where  she is within single digits of Trump according to polls, and proceeded to criticize both Trump and Biden’s “lack of vision for our country’s future.”

“I love you Iowa,” she said. “But we’re on to New Hampshire,” where the Republican Party holds its next primary on Jan 23.

Claiming that a Trump nomination will result in “another tossup election,” Haley argued she’s the antidote to a Biden-Trump rematch as the majority of Americans disapprove of both.

“It could go either way. We could have more disputes over election interference. And Joe Biden could win again, with Kamala Harris waiting in the wings. Lord, help us,” she said.

Styling herself as “the last best hope of stopping the Trump-Biden nightmare” she argued that Trump and Biden share “more in common than you think.”

“Trump and Biden both lack a vision for our country’s future because both are consumed by the past, by investigations, by vendettas, by grievances. America deserves better,” Haley said.

“At one point in this campaign, there were 14 of us running. I was at 2% in the polls. But tonight, Iowa did what Iowa does so well,” she said. “The pundits will analyze the results from every angle. But when you look at how we are doing in New Hampshire, in South Carolina, and beyond.”

“Trump and Biden are both about 80 years old. Trump and Biden both put our country deeper in debt and our kids will never forgive them for it,” she said.

Asserting that America deserves better, Haley said, “We deserve a new direction under new conservative leadership. We deserve a president who will focus on the needs of our people, not on themselves.”

“A president who will rebuild our economy, close our border, and stand up to our enemies. Most importantly, we deserve a president who will stop our self-loathing, end the division and fear, and make America strong and proud!” she said.

Haley asked her supporters to look at what happens when she goes head-to-head against Biden. “We win in a landslide. It’s not even close. That means no recounts, no lawsuits, and no doubts. It means no more Chuck Schumer leading the Senate. No more endless votes for House Speaker because we’ll have a huge House majority,” she said.

“We’ll term limit the do-nothing Washington politicians. We’ll rebuild our economy and secure our border. And make no mistake, we will restore our national pride. We are blessed to live in America, and it’s time we remembered that,” she added.

Meanwhile, Trump who won the Iowa Republican caucuses by an unprecedented margin topping 50%, scrapped his usual nicknames and insults for his Republican rivals, at a victory rally in Des Moines.

He congratulated DeSantis, Haley and Indian American biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy for their performances and described all three as “very smart people, very capable people.”

But his message to his primary opponents couldn’t have been clearer: It’s time to get out and get on board.

“It’s just so important, and I want to make that a very big part of our message: We’re going to come together. It’s going to happen soon, too,” Trump said.

Ramaswamy, who finished fourth with 8% Monday night, ended his campaign and immediately endorsed the former president.

Haley, meanwhile, is hoping to capitalize on a more moderate primary electorate in New Hampshire— and use it as a launchpad to effectively clear the field and position herself as the party’s lone Trump alternative, according to CNN.

Fifty-three percent of White evangelical Christians backed Trump, to DeSantis’ 27% and Haley’s 13% — figures that underscore why Trump is the heavy favorite in South Carolina – where evangelicals make up a huge share of the party’s primary electorate – even though it’s Haley’s home state, CNN noted citing an entrance poll.

College graduates split somewhat evenly between Trump, Haley and DeSantis. But Trump dominated those without a college degree, with 67% support.

One constituency with which Haley dominated were those who identified as moderate or liberal. She won support from 63% of that group — a number that would bode well for a general election matchup Biden.

But it also reflects how far Haley has to go to make inroads with the Republican primary electorate. The entrance poll found that Haley did well with those who believe Biden fairly won the 2020 election and those who say the quality that mattered most to them was having the right temperament.