Nikki Haley slams media for already wanting to ‘crown’ Trump in VERY testy interview in New Hampshire primary: Republican says calls for her to resign are ‘not democracy’

Nikki Haley told Fox News in a testy back-and-forth that her campaign will “run the tape” and that she does not condone the media coalescing around Trump despite his large lead in the polls.

Haley’s comments come after the latest DailyMail.com poll in New Hampshire showed Trump leading her by 20 points heading into Tuesday’s primary.

“I don’t care how much y’all want to crown Donald Trump,” Haley told the Fox & Friends hosts in a tense exchange. “Ultimately, that’s not what Americans want.”

In response, host Brian Kilmeade said: “I wonder why you think we’re the enemy.”

Haley shot back, “I’ve been watching the media say, ‘This is something that Donald Trump has to have.’ Look at the political class all uniting and saying everyone needs to get out. That’s not democracy.’

“Americans do not want a rematch between Trump and Biden,” she continued. “Americans want a choice and we are going to give that choice.”

Fox host Ainsley Earhardt tried to ease the tension during the interview, admitting to Haley that “we certainly do our best to be accurate.”

Later in the interview, Haley also added that she “will have a strong performance here in New Hampshire today” and that her campaign is “heading to South Carolina.”

Haley also said she is not interested in a vice presidential role, adding, “I’m not playing for second place.”

The former president has orchestrated a show of force since Ron DeSantis resigned on Sunday, creating a huge wave of support and endorsements.

At rallies, he has brought former rivals, including Vivek Ramaswamy and Tim Scott, onto the stage in what one top campaign aide described as “Avengers Assemble.”

He now enters the Republican fray with a chance to repeat his landslide victory in the Iowa caucus, defeat his last opponent Haley and clinch the nomination.

Now that Republican candidates have suspended their campaigns, the Republican Party has lined up and anointed Trump as the only candidate who can defeat Biden in 2024.

The latest poll from DailyMail.com/JL Partners shows Trump with 57 percent support to Haley’s 37.

Just 24 hours earlier, Haley trailed by just 10 points and had a glimmer of hope if independent and Democratic voters backed her.

On the final day of the survey of 851 people, Trump had a 40-point lead over Haley among respondents asked by JL Partners.

Even if she sees a surge of support from unreported New Hampshire residents, she may still struggle to close the gap.

“DeSantis’ departure from the race has given Donald Trump rocket fuel,” James Johnson, co-founder of JL Partners, told DailyMail.com.

“He opened up an exceptional 40-point lead over Nikki Haley on our last day of fieldwork – all after DeSantis’ fall.

“This means that our latest poll, which takes into account all days of fieldwork, gives Trump a 20-point lead.

Add to that the fact that Haley voters lack enthusiasm, and Trump appears poised for a landslide victory. The smell of inevitability now surrounds Donald Trump. If this poll is correct, the primary ends tonight.”

The latest results come just four days after Haley banned DailyMail.com reporters and photographers from all her campaign events.

Trump has urged his former UN ambassador to resign and rally behind him so he can defeat Joe Biden in a rematch of the 2020 election.

Haley has rejected those calls in recent days and insists she will remain in the race until the primaries in her home state of South Carolina in a month.

But in the Palmetto State, she is trailing Trump by as much as 20 points in the polls, and her path to the nomination is narrowing every day.

The first polls open at 6 a.m. in the Granite State and the last close at 8 p.m. If Trump has an insurmountable lead in the votes, the results could be known before 9 p.m.

If Trump pulls off another victory like he did in Iowa, where he won by 30 points, Haley will face a wave of questions about whether she can stay in the race.

She has hit the campaign trail hard, filling bars and hotel ballrooms with supporters who no longer want to see Trump on the map.

The former South Carolina governor has focused on Trump’s recent blunders, insisting he is not mentally fit to be president.

But according to data from DailyMail.com/JL Partners, her message has struggled to break the dominance of the MAGA faithful.

More data from the poll shows that Haley backers were motivated by one thing: stopping Trump.

More than half of Haley’s fans said the main reason for supporting the former South Carolina governor was “stopping Trump.”

And that’s part of the reason why she’s struggling to make a dent in the frontrunner’s colossal lead.

The results come from a survey of 651 people who said they will vote in New Hampshire’s primary on Tuesday.

Respondents were asked to explain their choice in one sentence.

“Nikki Haley’s endorsement is not about Nikki Haley. Only two percent say they will vote for her because of her policies,” Johnson said.

“Instead, it’s about stopping Donald Trump. That, combined with low enthusiasm for Haley, limits her voting potential in these primaries to a relatively small number of people, especially in later contests where undeclared voters cannot vote.

Meanwhile, Trump’s supporters are motivated by positive reasons: Trump’s strength, his plans for the economy and, above all, his record in his first term.

“This is an election that Trump is dominating: even his opposition knows it.”

Trump’s big victory in Iowa last week means he has already taken a step toward his party’s presidential nomination.

Another win in New Hampshire would make him virtually unstoppable.

“It should be almost regardless tomorrow because if she wins tomorrow, it should be over too because there’s no way beyond that,” Donald Trump Jr. told reporters about Haley as he campaigned for his father in Hollis on Monday. , NH