Donald Trump is his “own worst enemy” and is “underestimating” his Republican rival Nikki Haley, an ex-aide to the 45th POTUS has told Express.co.uk. Gavin Smith, who worked as Trump’s press lead and later as an adviser in the Department of Labor, is supporting Haley’s 2024 bid and has denounced his former boss after the 76-year-old peddled unfounded claims about the 2020 election and MAGA supporters stormed the Capitol.
Smith told Express.co.uk: “Nikki is being underestimated right now but as voters get to know Nikki and they know the Nikki Haley that I know, the one that has the ability to bring people together, you’ll see her poll numbers continue to rise.”
He added: “Many people running Donald Trump’s campaign, specifically here in South Carolina, underestimated Nikki in her bid for the state house, the state legislature and in her 2010 election and in her 2014 re-election.”
Smith, who attended Haley’s launch event on Wednesday, also claimed it is in Trump’s DNA to underestimate his opponents.
However, he said the former UN Ambassador does not need to concentrate her efforts on pinpointing Trump’s weaknesses, arguing the 45th POTUS will bring about his own downfall.
He claimed: “I’m not sure that Nikki Haley cares about Donald Trump’s weaknesses because Donald Trump is his own worst enemy and I think Donald Trump’s going to put the final nail in the coffin for himself.”
Smith revealed he is supporting Haley, who became just the second Grand Old Party candidate to enter the race following a slick video released on Tuesday, due to her track record of bringing people together.
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He explained: “You find that many Americans, many Republicans, liked the fiscal policies of the Trump era but what they didn’t enjoy was all of the drama, the baggage and the divisive rhetoric which comes with the Trump brand.
“That’s what truly sets Nikki Haley apart, for me. Nikki Haley has a proven record of bringing people together.”
Supporters point to Haley’s response to a mass shooting by a white supremacist at a church in Charleston in 2015 as a key example of her work reaching out to people.
The former Palmetto State Governor even opted to remove the Confederate flag from the State House in South Carolina.
But Smith is not the only former Trump ally to switch support to Haley.
Republican Congressman Ralph Norman endorsed Haley’s bid, despite being a staunch Trump backer.
Other Republican figures have remained committed to Trump’s third successive re-election campaign.
Pastor Mark Burns, an early supporter of Trump’s 2016 campaign, told Express.co.uk: “President Trump isn’t worried about Nikki Haley, I’m not worried about Nikki Haley and the people of South Carolina aren’t worried about Nikki Haley because we all know who the real Nikki Haley is: Empress RINO.”
The 43-year-old also slammed Haley for her previous comments about Hillary Clinton, Medicare, Ukraine, immigration and transgender issues.
Current opinion polls suggest Trump will likely win the Grand Old Party’s primary race.
A recent Quinnipiac University survey indicated that the ex-POTUS has opened up a narrow six point lead over Ron DeSantis, with Haley languishing behind in third place with just five percent of the vote.
However, despite a gap in the polls, Trump yesterday decided to take aim at Haley on his social media platform Truth Social.
He said: “The greatest thing Nikki Haley did for our Country, and the Great State of South Carolina, was accepting the position of United Nations Ambassador so that the incredible then Lieutenant Governor, Henry McCaster, could be Governor of South Carolina, where he has done an absolutely fantastic job.
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“That was a big reason why I appointed Nikki to the position – It was a favour to the people I love in South Carolina!”
Trump previously welcomed Haley’s inclusion in the race, claiming he wanted her to “follow her heart”.
Haley’s criticism of her former boss at her campaign launch was much more subtle, referring to him by name just once.
However, Haley said: “If you’re tired of losing, then put your trust in a new generation.”
Trump’s electability appears to have diminished in recent years, having lost the 2020 election before the GOP struggled to capitalise on Joe Biden’s poor approval ratings last November.
But the Republican Party’s electoral woes predate the 45th POTUS, with the GOP candidate failing to win the popular vote in seven of the last eight general elections.
