Nikki Haley, the former U.N. Ambassador, faced questions regarding her allocation of funds towards television ads instead of directing them towards initiatives benefiting veterans.
At a recent meet and greet event held at a Chick-fil-A, an unidentified individual raised concerns about her substantial expenditure on advertisements, highlighting that despite this investment, she did not achieve a significant victory over Donald Trump in the Iowa caucuses.
In the caucuses, Trump emerged as the winner with 51% of the vote, followed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis with 21.2%. Haley secured the third position with 19.1% of the vote, while entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy secured fourth place with 7.7% of the vote.
“Can I ask you just like a tiny question?” the man asked Haley, to which she answered, “yeah.”
Met Nikki Haley just now at a Chic Fil A and she was not too happy to be asked why she is wasting so much money on tv ads when there are homeless veterans in the USA and she is going to lose to Trump anyways. pic.twitter.com/TW6UDx2Mpy
— Titus Frost 🏴☠️👻 (@ImperatorTruth) January 20, 2024
“Do you think it’s responsible for politicians to spend like, a hundred million dollars in Iowa on TV ads, which go to, mainly news stations that have lied to us for years, when there’s homeless veterans out there that could use that money?” the man asked her. “When you didn’t even come close to beating Trump? And, you spent like a hundred million in TV ad money?”
Haley countered the man’s remarks by inquiring if he was aware that her husband was also a veteran, emphasizing that he was a “combat veteran.”
“Do you know that when the media doesn’t tell the truth, the whole reason you put commercials on is to tell the truth because the media doesn’t,” Haley informed the man.
“My point is, you’re not gonna beat Trump,” the man added. “And, all the money you’re wasting could go to better causes.”
As the gentleman expressed his thoughts, Haley recognized his arguments, conveying her gratitude for his perspective.
“That would make the Republican Party actually look better,” the man added.
Following the outcome of the Iowa caucuses, Ramaswamy and DeSantis have made the decision to suspend their campaigns and endorse Trump. Meanwhile, Haley has gained the support of three super PACs, namely the SFA Fund, Americans for Prosperity, and Independents Moving the Needle. These super PACs have invested over $24 million in television, radio, and online advertisements, with the aim of targeting voters in New Hampshire before the upcoming primary. Politico reports that Haley’s campaign has also contributed $4.7 million towards these advertising efforts.
Interestingly, the combined amount spent on advertising by the three super PACs supporting Haley and her campaign is nearly double the $15.3 million spent by the Trump campaign and his super PAC, MAGA Inc.
CNN reveals that the SFA Fund allocated more than $1.7 million for an advertisement used by Haley’s campaign in Iowa. This ad aimed to criticize DeSantis as a “disaster” and highlight Haley’s strong performance in comparison to both Trump and DeSantis, according to CNN.
As we approach the New Hampshire primary, Trump maintains an average of 66.2% in the polls, while Haley is polling at 12.3%, as reported by FiveThirtyEight.
A recent CNN poll conducted by the University of New Hampshire indicates that 50% of Republican Party voters would support Trump, while 39% would support Haley.