Fox News host Laura Ingraham pressed South Carolina Republican Rep. Ralph Norman over his support for GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley on Tuesday, saying Haley was “prolonging the obvious.”
Norman appeared on “The Ingraham Angle” to discuss his endorsement of Haley and show his support as the New Hampshire primaries results rolled in. Ingraham had started off by questioning the South Carolina representative on why Haley was continuing to run when the polls appear to indicate voters want “a substantial change.”
The Fox News host continued to call out national surveys indicating GOP voters’ support for former President Donald Trump, asking Norman if Haley couldn’t win in New Hampshire then where else could she win. (RELATED: ‘You Only Won One Of 99 Counties’: Dana Bash Grills Nikki Haley Who Keeps Saying She’s Running Successful Race)
“This is nothing personal about Nikki Haley, but in pretty much every national survey — way beyond New Hampshire … If you can’t win big in New Hampshire, when you’re Nikki Haley with all the billionaires’ money you got and all the money you’re pouring in. If you can’t win in that state, then where are you going to win?” Ingraham questioned.
“And that — my, my point to Nikki Haley is, you should be part of the future of the party. There’s no reason she shouldn’t be. But she’s just prolonging the obvious when clearly the nation wants a substantial change,” Ingraham stated.
“But it seems to be that the people would like a matchup from the guy who’s getting hounded by the deep state, and the guy who actually took us through peace and prosperity, against Joe Biden and his globalist handlers. And — look, the numbers are what the numbers are. I mean, you guys can get mad — I get it, it’s not fun to lose. It’s not fun to put in all this time and money, I get it. But explain where she’s going to win big if she doesn’t win big in New Hampshire.”
Norman pushed back on Ingraham, saying Haley would first need to see how she does in New Hampshire, highlighting that the former South Carolina governor is predicted to beat President Joe Biden in general polls by a “substantial amount.” Norman additionally emphasized that Trump had previously appointed Haley as the United Nations ambassador for his administration, prior to calling her a “globalist.” (RELATED: ‘Can’t Afford Food’: New Hampshire Voters Cast Their Ballots Under Shadow Of Economic Woes)
“Well, let’s see how she does in New Hampshire. And let’s see where she goes from here. I can tell you, for all the news media and the pundits just to say, basically what you said, that just fires her up. Look, in every poll Nikki Haley beats Joe Biden by a substantial amount. Donald Trump is very close, but not to the margin that Nikki Haley is,” Norman stated.
“And second, let me say this, Laura, if, if Nikki Haley was everything y’all are saying that Donald Trump is — ‘she’s a globalist’ and all that. He endorsed her to lead America on the United Nations as ambassador — was he wrong? No, Donald Trump was right before.”
The two continued to debate the importance of endorsements, with Ingraham stating that “just because” Trump “endorsed her” previously doesn’t necessarily mean they agree in the present.
The former president previously spoke with Fox News host Bret Baier Saturday about the nicknames he had given to Haley, including calling her a “globalist fool,” saying America can “no longer afford” to have a “globalist.”
“Well, look, she is a globalist — I’ve always known that about her — and our country cannot be globalist. We don’t even have that choice anymore. We owe $35 trillion and we have to take care of ourselves first. But you know, I had no wars going on,” Trump stated.
Following Trump’s landslide victory in Iowa, winning by 51%, the former president beat Haley again in New Hampshire Tuesday night, sitting with 54.1% of the vote at the time of writing, according to The Associated Press.