Former President Trump said Nikki Haley "has no chance" of winning the 2024 Republican nomination, telling Fox News’ Sean Hannity in an exclusive sit-down interview Thursday that "MAGA is not going to be with her."
Trump, who solidified his standing as the frontrunner in the 2024 Republican presidential nomination race after winning the Iowa caucuses Monday night, now has his sights set on New Hampshire. Trump traveled to the Granite State this week after he dominated his GOP opponents in Iowa by winning 98 of 99 counties. He collected 20 delegates in the state.
Trump, who sat with Hannity in New Hampshire just days before the state’s first-in-the-nation primary, is ahead by double-digits in the polls in the Granite State. But some new polling shows former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, and his former ambassador to the United Nations, performing well.
Moderate voters in the Granite State are highly influential, and the state's independents — who can vote in either major party primary — have long played a crucial role in New Hampshire's storied presidential contest.
New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu endorsed Haley, but in an interview with Fox News’ Neil Cavuto, he said it was "troubling" that some Democratic voters will "switch" to be independents to vote in the primary.
When asked if that system "bothers" him, Trump said: "It bothers me."
"And the governor should have done something about it," Trump told Hannity. "Instead of wasting his time with Nikki, because she’s not going to make it. She has no chance, she’s got no way."
Trump added: "MAGA is not going to be with her."
Trump said the state’s system is "a bad thing for us."
"Who has a system where Democrats are allowed to vote in the Republican Primary?" He asked. "And New Hampshire is an incredible place. I love the people."
Trump, who won New Hampshire in both 2016 and 2020, said the state is "fantastic," but it needs "a system."
"You need a governor that’s going to get it changed, not just talking about it," Trump said. "He’s talking about it for four years, never got it done, so Democrats are allowed to vote, which they’re going to vote for her, because they don’t want to run against me, they want to run against her."
He added: "It’s a very simple system."
But even if Democrats register as independents and vote for Haley in New Hampshire, Trump said: "I don’t think it’s going to matter."
A daily tracking poll released Thursday morning by Suffolk University, the Boston Globe and NBC10 Boston shows Trump with 50% support among those likely to vote in the New Hampshire primary Jan. 23.
Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who served as ambassador to the United Nations during the Trump administration, stands at 36%, with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at just 6%.
In that same poll, 4% of respondents said they were undecided, with 1% saying they would back a different candidate altogether.
Trump, reflecting on his presidency — including the years-long Russia probe that clouded the beginning of his administration and the two impeachments — said neither Haley nor Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis "would not be able to handle" the "onslaught" that comes with being president of the United States.
"If I were a softer individual, and I’ll tell you something, Ron DeSantis or Nikki or anybody else, if they were in my position, if they were here, they would have been hit just as hard," Trump said. "These people play tough, much tougher than the Republicans play, and the Republicans have to get tougher."
He added: "But Nikki, I know Nikki very well. She worked for me a long time. She would not be able to handle that position — she would not be able to handle the onslaught."