- The American Research Group poll has good news for Haley in New Hampshire
- It comes as DeSantis and Trump both attacked Haley and underscored her threat
- Trump polled 37 percent, Haley at 33 percent and Christie at 10
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A New Hampshire poll released Thursday shows Nikki Haley strengthening her position as the candidate best positioned to defeat Donald Trump when the state's Republicans choose their favorite later this month.
According to pollsters from American Research Group, she trails Trump by just four points.
The gap is the same as in December, but these two candidates are further away from the pack and have picked up voters who said they were undecided last time.
The full results show Trump leading with 37 percent, while Haley is at 33. Former New Jersey Governor Christie has fallen to 10 percent (from 13), with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in fourth place with five percent (from six), and technology entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy at four percent (from five).
Haley has seen her strong debate performance and major endorsements turn into polling momentum in recent weeks as the candidates approach the business end of the race.
Nikki Haley is rising in the polls. Now she's drawing fire from the campaigns of Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis as we reach the business end of the nominating contest
The campaigns of Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis have stepped up their attacks in recent weeks
Iowa is the first state to choose its preferred candidate on January 15. Trump is far ahead in the polls there, but a strong performance from DeSantis or Haley could see them crowned the top challenger.
New Hampshire will hold its primaries on January 23 and Haley has made it clear she is aiming for a win.
Her momentum has made her the number one target for both Trump and DeSantis, who have kept up a steady stream of attacks.
The Trump campaign launched its first TV attack on Haley in New Hampshire on Wednesday.
“Confirmed warnings that terrorists are sneaking in through our southern border,” the narrator says. Yet Haley joined Biden in opposing Trump's ban on visitors from terrorist countries. Haley's weakness puts us in great danger. Trump's power protects us.”
DeSantis also went on the attack after Haley appeared to write off Republican voters in Iowa when she told voters in New Hampshire they had a chance to correct the result in Iowa, where Trump appears on track for a big win.
“We have a chance to get this right,” she told a large crowd in Milford. “And I know we'll do well, and I trust you. I trust each and every one of you.
“You know how to do this. You know Iowa is starting it. You know you're correcting it.'
South Carolina, her home state, is “bringing it home,” she added jubilantly, as the South's first primaries were held on February 24.
DeSantis said it suggested Haley knew she would take a beating in Iowa.
JL Partners surveyed 984 likely voters across the country from December 15 to 20. The results have a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, but show former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley performing best among Republican contenders against Joe Biden.
“I think it was incredibly disrespectful to Iowans to say that their votes need to be corrected somehow,” he said during an interview with radio station Am Omaha.
“I think she's trying to make an excuse for the fact that she's not doing well.”
Other Iowans joined in.
“I trust Iowans to make their own decisions,” said Gov. Kim Reynolds, who is supporting DeSantis. 'No “corrections” needed!'
However, Haley's analysis need not be wrong.
A moving average of polls in Iowa, tracked by statistics website FiveThirtyEight, puts DeSantis at 18.4 percent and Haley at 15.7 percent. Trump is far ahead with 50 percent of the votes.
Caucuses are notoriously difficult to predict, but the numbers suggest Haley's best bet could be in New Hampshire, where she is 19 points behind Trump, and well ahead of DeSantis.
Several strong debate performances and major endorsements have given her momentum as the race nears its business end.
Her campaign hit back at criticism that she was soft on the border.
“All the lame nicknames in the world don't change the fact that Donald Trump is clearly terrified of Nikki Haley's momentum,” said communications director Nachama Soloveichik.
“Nikki passed one of the toughest anti-illegal immigration laws in the country when Trump was a Democrat. Trump should spend more time explaining why he never kept his signature promise to build a wall, instead of desperately trying to mislead voters with easily debunked ads.”