(NewsNation) — Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley says she doesn’t need former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s endorsement as her campaign prepares for the New Hampshire primary election.
Christie defended Haley during the fourth Republican primary debate, but a hot mic caught him claiming the former South Carolina governor “is gonna get smoked.” Christie, who was also gunning for president, dropped out of the race about that same time.
“At the end of the day, you don’t want all of those politicians’ endorsements,” Haley said during an interview Friday with NewsNation’s Leland Vittert. “That’s part of the problem. You want people who actually move the ball.”
Haley holds a three-point lead over President Joe Biden in a hypothetical general election match-up in New Hampshire, NewsNation’s partner The Hill reported, citing a Marist New Hampshire poll.
Haley told NewsNation she has “plenty” of funds to go the distance.
“Donors have complimented me and have seen I am very frugal with how I spend, because that’s how I spend tax dollars, my dollars and campaign dollars,” Haley said.
Former President Donald Trump has taken shots at Haley’s campaign over the past several weeks, promoting baseless claims that she’s ineligible for office. Trump claimed Haley’s parents, who emigrated from India, weren’t U.S. citizens when she was born.
Haley, however, said won’t “hate on Trump,” adding, “this is not personal for me. This is about policy.”
“Trump is hammering me like a drum and, at the end of the day, I get excited about that because that means we’re doing something right,” Haley said.
As for fellow Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis, Haley stopped short of saying he should give up the fight.
“I’ll never say anyone needs to drop out, but he’s closer to zero than he is to me in New Hampshire or South Carolina,” Haley said. “It’s low. Single digits.”
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