Haley Revs Up Case Against Trump As She Trails Him In South Carolina

GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley continued her verbal sparring against rival, former President Donald Trump, as her campaign revved up Thursday in South Carolina, where the next major Republican presidential nominating battle will be held on Feb. 24.

As Haley seeks to cut down Trump's lead in the upcoming primary in her home state of South Carolina, she used a new ad and email blasts to call the former president a liar, a weak candidate, and a coward for not debating her.

Haley also posted a picture on X of a costume labeled "Weakest General Election Candidate Ever" with Trump's photo on the packaging. "Includes - '$50M in legal fees,' 'terrible poll numbers,' 'social media rants' and 'temper tantrums,' read the description on the packaging.

"Democrats are ecstatic about the prospect of running against Donald Trump," Haley wrote on X. "They couldn't dream up a worse general election candidate if they tried. Between his legal drama, his terrible poll numbers, and his confusion, Trump will hand Democrats a big victory."

Haley, who has served as governor of South Carolina, is trailing behind Trump by wide margins in opinion polls in her home state.

Survey results released Thursday after a Monmouth University-Washington Post poll revealed that 58 percent of potential Republican primary voters in South Carolina are currently backing Trump for the nomination, thus giving him a 26-point lead over Haley, who garnered 32 percent of support among the poll respondents.

Swipes against Haley came from Trump-supporting local politicians who endorsed the former president at a Thursday event in the state capital of Columbia.

"Nikki is always about Nikki," said Bill Taylor, a Republican state representative, currently backing Trump in the primary contest.

Taylor, who was once a Haley ally, called her a political opportunist as he made comments for team Trump.

Stewart Jones, another state representative supporting the former president, said Haley is weak on immigration, which is a sentiment touted by the Trump campaign.

People close to the former president have reportedly said that Trump is growing increasingly frustrated with Haley's refusal to withdraw from the race for the 2024 Republican nomination.

Trump has surrounded himself with the "political elite," Haley said as she acknowledged the endorsements of Trump made by South Carolina Republicans.

"Do you see all those congressional members around him? The same ones that haven't done anything for us," Haley said at a campaign event in Hilton Head Island in South Carolina on Thursday.