'This is a joke, right?' Chris Sununu ridiculed for predicting Nikki Haley's 'strong second' place finish in Iowa

LONDONDERRY, NEW HAMPSHIRE: In a bold declaration on Wednesday, January 3, New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu, a staunch supporter of Nikki Haley, assured the crowd at Game Changers Sports Bar and Grill that the former South Carolina governor would secure a robust second-place finish in the Iowa caucuses.

Despite acknowledging the expected victory of GOP frontrunner Donald Trump in Iowa, Sununu highlighted the strategic importance of Haley's performance.

"We know [Donald] Trump is going to win the caucus in Iowa," Sununu declared confidently. "But again, Nikki coming in second place when nobody thought it could happen, that’s going to happen and give her even more momentum." 

Sununu, discussing the campaign during a meet-and-greet event in Londonderry, revealed the initial goal was always a strong second-place finish. “Having a strong second-place finish was always our goal. We’ve got that wrapped up, guys," he declared.

Social media reactions

Responding to Sununu's remarks, Ron DeSantis for President Deputy Campaign Manager David Polyansky took to social media, stating, "As @ChrisSununu just said, it is 2nd place or bust for Wall Street funded Nikki Haley in Iowa. We agree. @TeamDeSantis and @NvrBackDown24 know what’s at stake. Let’s go!"

Several other social media users took the opportunity to troll the governor for setting the goal of second place in the race.

"This is a joke, right?? Nobody aspires to be second in anything," one posted on X (formerly Twitter).

"A goal of second place? He is so bad at this," another wrote.

"'We're gonna win...second' is not quite the rallying cry you think it is Mr. Sununu," someone else quipped.

"I thought she said she doesn’t play for second place??" another chimed in.

Trump's commanding lead in Iowa, polling at 50 percent according to FiveThirtyEight.com, puts him ahead of the competition. DeSantis is running just ahead of Haley at 18.4 percent compared to Haley's 15.7 percent. Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has chosen to skip Iowa altogether.

"Christie is great, and Ron (DeSantis) is great, and they had a path and a strategy, and that’s not going anywhere," Sununu reassured the Londonderry crowd.

Haley, taking the stage at the event, adhered to her core campaign messages. She vowed to close America's southern border, end Chinese influence over the US economy, and reduce the size of the federal government. Additionally, she stressed the need for a new generation of leadership, targeting the age disparity in American politics.

Haley, at 51 years old, is significantly younger than both 81-year-old Biden and 77-year-old Trump.

Nikki Haley's rising popularity evident in New Hampshire

Sununu's predictions and Haley's rising popularity in New Hampshire, where one recent poll showed her only four percentage points behind Trump, are clear indicators of the expectations her backers hold for the 2024 presidential race.

Americans for Prosperity Action, a grassroots organization backed by Charles Koch and supporting Haley, previously indicated that they expected her to place "second or third" in the Hawkeye State.

Haley's surge is particularly notable in New Hampshire, where she is polling at 24.8%, more than 20 points behind Trump’s 46.3%, but well in front of Chris Christie and DeSantis, polling at 10.5% and 9.5%, respectively, according to the RealClearPolitics average.

Despite her rise in the polls, the Trump campaign dismissed Haley’s apparent surge, accusing her in a memo this week of attempting to exploit New Hampshire’s rules allowing unaffiliated voters to pick a party primary to vote in on the day.

“[W]e can expect the Nikki (not ready for primetime) Haley campaign to launch efforts designed to co-opt and take over a GOP nominating contest with non-Republicans and Democrats, hoping that a ‘Coalition of the unwilling’ is enough to slow President Trump down,” the memo by Trump advisers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita read.

According to the New York Post, AFP Action has deployed its grassroots team to Iowa in recent months to get Haley the best showing possible. However, she faces stiff competition from DeSantis, who has a well-established ground game, and Trump's overwhelming support in the state.

The former president's campaign is focused on turning out a maximum number of new caucus-goers in Iowa to deliver a decisive victory and potentially conclude the race before most voting starts. The latest RCP average for Iowa shows Trump at 51.3%, DeSantis at 18.6%, and Haley at 16.1%.

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