“You’re a RINO and You Have Zero Chance”: Nikki Haley’s Campaign Pours $10M Into Ads To Boost Presidential Chances

William FurneyNov 15, 2023

Minute Read

Presidential hopeful Nikki Haley has come up with $10 million to spend on ads in two states to try and bolster her chances of becoming the Republican candidate in the 2024 presidential election.

DeSantis Knockout?

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Haley, a former UN ambassador during Trump’s time at the White House, is aiming to dethrone Florida Governor Rick DeSantis as the main challenger to frontrunner Donald Trump, although the pair are still about 50 or more points behind the former president in national polling.

GOP Candidates’ Poll Numbers

Haley, 51, is currently polling at 8.7 percent in an average of national polling compiled by aggregator site FiveThirtyEight. DeSantis is at 14 percent while Trump has a massive lead over all candidates, at 56.6 percent. Others vying for the GOP nomination for the 2024 race include Vivek Ramaswamy, at 5.3 percent in the polls, and former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, who has just 3.1 percent.

Haley Ad Blitz

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Haley’s campaign has booked $10 million in slots for TV, radio and internet ads in key swing states New Hampshire and Iowa, The Associated Press reported. The ad blitz is due to start in early December, about a month before the Republican primaries, the news agency said.

Waiting in the Wings

Rival candidates to Trump are expecting the 77-year-old will encounter major hurdles on his path back to the White House, after losing the 2020 election to Joe Biden — if he receives the GOP nomination. Despite his runaway polling numbers, primary voters may decide Trump is too much of a liability to be selected, political analysts say, and may instead opt for a fresher, less problematic candidate.

Trump’s Troubles

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Chief among the many obstacles facing Trump are four indictments that carry hefty prison terms, raising the possibility that the 45th president could spend the rest of his life behind bars. He is currently on trial in a civil case in New York City that has found fraud was committed by his Trump Organization real estate empire, and prosecutors are seeking a fine of at least $250 million.

Criminal Charges

Trump is battling a total of 91 criminal charges that include allegedly trying to overturn the 2020 election result and deprive Americans of their right to vote; alleged mishandling of confidential government files; and allegedly paying a former adult film star hush money to cover up an affair. Trump denies all the charges and says they amount to a “politically motivated witch hunt” to try and stop him from becoming president again.

Trump Age Concern

There are also concerns about Trump’s advanced age, and amid a series of gaffes in which he has forgotten the name of the city he was in and the names of foreign leaders. Observers say a growing number of people within the GOP ranks, as well as ordinary Republican voters, want a candidate who is younger and more vibrant.

DeSantis’ Campaign Woes

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At just 45, DeSantis was seen as a real alternative to an aging, trouble-shrouded Trump. But while his presidential campaign got off to a solid start, it soon floundered and he plummeted around 30 points in the polls and continues to languish near single digits.

Haley Ad Campaign

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Haley’s multi-channel ad campaign is scheduled to run for most of December and into January, when Iowa’s caucuses will be held, and beyond, to target voters in the New Hampshire primary, the AP said.

Haley: All Guns Blazing

Haley, seemingly fired up by the major ad spend to get her message across to Iowa and New Hampshire voters, said on X (formerly Twitter): “We’ve got a country to save. We’re in it to win it.”

Little Online Support

Not many people were supportive of Haley’s determination to win the GOP nomination and, eventually, the 2024 presidential election. One person, Cameron, said on X: “It’s too bad Trump is trouncing you. That doesn’t sound like winning to me.”

Haley a ‘Traitor’

Another, Zadok, said, using the derogatory acronym Republican in Name Only: “You’re a RINO and you have zero chance of being president. You’re actually a traitor because you have loyalties to foreign powers.”

‘Beating War Drum’

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Still another person, using the name Libertarian Party of Mississippi, said on X: “You cannot save this country by beating on the war drum to enrich the military industrial complex and diving deeper into entangling alliances with foreign countries.”

Democratic Party Rival

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Whoever does become the GOP candidate for the 2024 race, it is likely they will face off against the possible Democratic Party choice: President Joe Biden — who at 80 is also facing questions about his age and apparent frailty.