Former President Donald Trump is expected to secure a decisive victory over former Gov. Nikki Haley in New Hampshire, according to Republican Gov. Chris Sununu. Sununu’s forecast on Wednesday marked a significant departure from his previous strong statements anticipating Haley’s potential triumph over Trump.
“Nikki Haley can … give Trump that defeat that no one thought was possible in the next few weeks. And I think that’s very likely to happen,” Sununu said in December.
“Oh, it’s an absolute win… If everyone that could vote in the primary comes out and votes, she’s going to win in a landslide. And that’s not an exaggeration,” he said in December. “I think she wins here in New Hampshire,” he said in January.
However, Sununu now reveals a “serious downgrade of Haley’s expectations,” stating, “We always wanted to have a strong second. That’s the only expectation we ever laid out there,” in an interview with ABC News on Wednesday.
This statement surprised political experts, given the significant support Haley received from the donor class. Robert Schwartz, the co-founder of the Primary Pivot super PAC and an establishment figure, aimed to “damage” Trump’s campaign by mobilizing Democrats and left-leaning independents to vote for Haley.
Despite the establishment’s backing, polling indicates a challenging path for Haley. According to Thursday’s Suffolk/NBC-10/Boston Globe NH tracking poll, Haley trails Trump by more than ten points in the Granite State:
Trump: 50%
Haley: 36%
DeSantis: 6%
“She is behind,” remarked Michael Biundo, a longtime Republican strategist in New Hampshire. He criticized Haley’s decision to cancel debates and treat New Hampshire as merely one of the Super Tuesday states, describing it as a “huge mistake.”
Sean Van Anglen, a previous Haley supporter, expressed skepticism about Haley’s campaign’s seriousness in winning on Tuesday, noting, “Seems like Haley has given up.”
