California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) said Friday that GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley is among his party’s best surrogates on the campaign trail, as she seeks to take down former President Trump in the Republican primary.
“I think she’s one of our better surrogates, so I hope she stays in. I hope she does well tomorrow — at least, well enough,” Newsom said, referring to the GOP South Carolina primary, after CNN’s Jake Tapper asked whether Haley or Trump had a better chance against President Biden in November.
Newsom, a staunch supporter of Biden, added that he agreed with most of the attacks Haley has made on the former president.
“I think she’s spot on, on 99 percent of it,” he said. “So, I’m enjoying this primary. And I hope it continues, so I wish her luck.”
“But look, Trump’s the nominee,” the governor continued. “We all know that. You know that. Everybody out there knows that.”
The former president remains the clear GOP front-runner, both in the Palmetto State and nationally. According to the polling index from The Hill/Decision Desk HQ, Trump is leading Haley, the former governor of South Carolina, 63.8 percent to 33.1 percent.
The numbers have not deterred Haley, however, who has vowed to stay in the race at least until Super Tuesday.
In an interview with Tapper Thursday evening, Haley argued that Trump would once again lose to Biden in November, if the rematch goes ahead.
“You can have him win any primary you want — he will not win a general election,” she said. “We will have a female president of the United States; it will either be me or it will be [Vice President] Harris.”
That line has become a refrain for Haley, who has also hammered Biden and Trump for their advanced age. Biden is 81, while Trump is 77.
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Asked by Tapper about polls that suggest Haley would overtake Biden if she were the Republican nominee, the California governor deflected.
“Trump’s the nominee. Everyone knows Trump’s the nominee,” he reiterated. “There’s no evidence to suggest, no polling to suggest, there’s nothing to suggest … momentum or otherwise, that she can win any state in the Republican primary coming up.”
“I don’t mean that to be dismissive, I have respect for the former governor — a lot more than the former president Donald Trump,” Newsom added. “But as I said, I wish her good luck in the context of being out there and making the case we’re making against Donald Trump equally.”