Nikki Haley goes on offense against Trump days before New Hampshire primary

A few days away from next week's critical New Hampshire primary, Nikki Haley is intensifying her criticism of former President Donald Trump and drawing a contrast between their approaches to governing. 

The former ambassador to the United Nations is characterizing the nomination contest as a two-person race, and she and her campaign are focused on targeting Trump. 

"Trump says things. Americans aren't stupid to just believe what he says," Haley told reporters Thursday during a campaign stop in Hollis, New Hampshire. "The reality is — who lost the House for us? Who lost the Senate? Who lost The White House? Donald Trump, Donald Trump, Donald Trump." 

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These direct attacks on Trump deviate from Haley's usual dismissiveness of the former president and have emerged as Haley attempts to close the gap with Trump in New Hampshire. 

During campaign stops throughout the Granite State, she's been urging voters to move past "the political chaos" that follows Trump and consider her as the alternative to his "drama."

"My style is different (from Trump's). No vendettas, no trauma, no vengeance. It's about results," Haley said in Hollis. 

For his part, Trump is swinging harder at Haley, mocking her birth name on Truth Social, referring to her as "Nimbra" and saying "she doesn't have what it takes." Haley, born "Nimarata Nikki Randhawa" in South Carolina, goes by her middle name. 

At a campaign stop in Amherst on Friday, Haley brushed off Trump's slur and assured voters the name-calling is just evidence of Trump's fear.

"I'll let people decide what he means by his attacks," Haley said. "What we know is, look, he's clearly insecure. If he goes and does his temper tantrum, if he's going and spending millions of dollars on TV, he's insecure. He knows that something's wrong. I don't sit there and worry about whether it's personal or what he means by the end of the day," Haley said. 

In:
• New Hampshire
• Donald Trump
• Nikki Haley

Nidia Cavazos

Nidia Cavazos is a 2024 campaign reporter for CBS News.

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