Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley was booed on stage during a town hall event in Iowa on Thursday night after she was quoted telling a New Hampshire audience the Granite State would "correct" how Iowans vote in their upcoming caucuses.
The backlash comes as her main rivals for the nomination are ramping up their attacks on the former South Carolina governor, who is battling with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for a second-place finish behind the front-runner in the race, former President Donald Trump.
Haley was asked Thursday in a CNN town hall about comments she made in New Hampshire the night before, saying in the early voting states, "Iowa starts it. You know that you correct it... and then my sweet state of South Carolina brings it home. That's what we do!"
DeSantis' campaign has slammed her comments as "insulting" to Iowa voters, and the governor said in a radio interview that her characterization of Iowa voters was "disrespectful."
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, who has endorsed the DeSantis campaign, posted on X that "I trust Iowans to make their own decisions. No 'corrections' needed!"
Haley told the crowd in Iowa, after she was booed, that her comments in New Hampshire came because "you gotta have some fun."
Haley added, in her home state of South Carolina, people know Iowans are the first to caucus, and then New Hampshire is the first primary election, while South Carolina "wanted to be the first in the south" to vote for presidential candidates, so the three states "banter against each other on different things."
"New Hampshire makes fun of Iowa; Iowa makes fun of South Carolina; it's what we do," she added, also saying she thinks politics can be "too serious and too dramatic."
But Iowa conservatives are not laughing off the comments Haley made in New Hampshire.
"These comments by Nikki Haley are very telling regarding her status in Iowa," a key Iowa evangelical leader endorsing DeSantis, posted on X. "And, this admission of getting beat in the Hawkeye state gives Chrystal [sic] clear clarity and renewed conviction to Iowans as they Caucus for Ron DeSantis on January 15."
Iowa state Rep. Jon Dunwell posted on X that "Wow…Nikki Haley just keeps getting it wrong," and a fellow state representative, John Wills, said her comments show she is "worried and has to spin it."
"Iowans make their own decisions and don't need correction. Maybe her mistake on Caitlin Clark's name and the Civil War issue are enough," he added.
Further, Iowa state Rep. Skyler Wheeler commented Haley has "another absolute disaster on her hands. Iowa won't make a mistake because we won't pick a lib like yourself. We actually value conservatism in our state."
Meanwhile, Trump has shifted his attacks to Haley, recently calling her a "sellout" while criticizing her on taxes and immigration.
Haley's campaign said Trump, by focusing on Haley, who once served as his ambassador to the United Nations, is "clearly threatened" by her growing numbers.
"Donald Trump must be seeing the same Nikki momentum we're seeing, and he's clearly threatened," spokesperson Olivia Perez-Cubas said. "This is a two-person race between Nikki and Trump."
Information from The Associated Press was added to this report.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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