'Lame duck:' Donald Trump mocked as he calls Nikki Haley 'Nikki New Taxes' amid tightening polls

WASHINGTON, DC: In the unfolding drama of the 2024 presidential race, former President Donald Trump is letting his creativity flow by bestowing rival Nikki Haley with a new nickname - "Nikki New Taxes."

The latest nickname comes at a crucial juncture, as Haley, who previously served as the United States ambassador to the United Nations under Trump's administration, appears to be gaining ground in some polls, posing a potential challenge to the former president's previous electoral dominance.

Is race tightening in New Hampshire?

Recent survey results have shown a surprisingly close race, with Haley trailing Trump by just four points in New Hampshire—a state that has been a stronghold for the former president in the past. This shift in dynamics has raised eyebrows and put Trump's campaign on high alert.

Wasting no time, Trump's campaign committee fired off an email on Friday with the headline "KISS OF DEATH: Nikki New Taxes," serving as a prelude to a scathing critique of the former South Carolina governor.

The email, attributed to Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung, accused Haley of harboring "total disdain for the working class" and being willing to "sell out to lobbyist parasites."

“The truth is finally coming out about Nikki Haley’s troublesome record showing her total disdain for the working class and a willingness to sell out to lobbyist parasites,” it stated.

“She pushed for a WHOPPING 60% increase in the state gas tax in South Carolina after promising voters she would never do so. She also voted for an unconscionable 20% increase in the state sales tax, making her the enemy of the working class and an ally of lobbyist cronies taking advantage of impressionable politicians looking for their approval.”

The missive did not stop at policy critiques; it went on to label Haley a "RINO"—a Republican in name only. This charge was based on her alleged support for entitlement reforms perceived as undermining key pillars of social support, including Medicare and Social Security, and increasing the retirement age, the New York Post reported.

Social media reactions

As expected, there were immediate responses from critics of Trump's tactics.

"Someone is getting nervous!!" one posted on X (formerly Twitter).

"His nicknames are usually pretty good. This one is pretty lame," another wrote.

"The immaturity of name-calling continues. Trump will be a 4 year lame duck POTUS. Not what GOP needs. He better wake up and choose a legitimate VP who can succeed him and give the GOP 8 more years of POTUS after he is gone," someone else added.

"How is it possible that so many people still take Donald Trump seriously when he actually signs off on tripe like this? The fact that Steven Cheung is in Trump's employ automatically disqualifies any criticism Team Trump has about any of his primary opponents," another chimed in.

Nikki Haley's perspective on Trump and media obsession

The feud between Trump and Haley extends beyond this recent spat. In a December interview on ABC's 'This Week,' Haley criticized the media's "obsession" with Trump.

"The thing is, normal people aren't obsessed with Trump like you guys are," Haley told ABC News’ Jonathan Karl.

"The normal people care about the fact that they can't afford things. They feel like their freedoms are being taken away. They think government is too big. I know you all want to talk about every single word he says and every single tweet he does."

She acknowledged her disagreements with the former president but emphasized a "good working relationship" with him.

"Anti-Trumpers want me to hate him, pro-Trumpers want me to love him, but this is where I stand. There are things I agree with the president on…I don't agree with the fact that, yes, we had a good economy while he was there, but he put us $8 trillion in debt that our kids are never going to forgive us for," she explained.

"I don't agree with how he handles national security," Haley added. "He focused on trade with China, but he did nothing about the fentanyl flow. He did nothing about the fact that fentanyl has killed so many of our Americans."

That said, Haley also indicated a willingness to pardon Trump if found guilty. At a campaign event, she remarked, "If he is found guilty, a leader needs to think about what's in the best interest of the country. What's in the best interest of the country is not to have an 80-year-old man sitting in jail, that continues to divide our country."

She added, "What's in the best interest of the country would be to pardon him so that we can move on as a country and no longer talk about him."

Trump's penchant for nicknames has been a hallmark of his political strategy. In previous campaigns, he famously labeled opponents such as Jeb Bush as "Low energy" and Ted Cruz as "Lyin Ted."

In the ongoing race, Florida Gov Ron DeSantis has found himself christened as "Ron DeSanctimonious," the Post reported.

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