DeSantis, Haley campaigns trade barbs over ex-UN envoy’s $10M ad buy

Republican presidential candidates Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley are stepping up their efforts in Iowa while trading verbal shots over their campaigns’ respective performances — showing a renewed sense of urgency with a little more than two months to go before the first-in-the-nation caucuses.

Both the Florida governor, 45, and the former ambassador to the United Nations, 51, are polling far behind GOP front-runner Donald Trump, but both also see a path forward in the Hawkeye State, which kicks off the nominating calendar Jan. 15.

Haley’s campaign announced a $10 million ad buy in Iowa and New Hampshire Monday, accusing DeSantis of being cash-strapped in the process.

“Nikki Haley’s momentum and path to victory are clear,” said Haley for President campaign manager Betsy Ankney in a statement. “The same can’t be said for Ron DeSantis, who, even with a decent showing in Iowa, can’t afford a cup of coffee at the Red Arrow Diner in [Manchester] New Hampshire and is a mere tourist in South Carolina.”

DeSantis’ campaign finished the third quarter with $5 million cash on hand for the primary season, while Haley’s camp had $9.1 million in primary cash on hand.

In response, DeSantis Communications Director Andrew Romeo argued Haley “has no mathematical pathway to victory” in Iowa.

“No amount of money will be enough for Nikki Haley to conceal her pro-China, pro-Gaza aid, pro-gas tax, and pro-Hillary record,” he said. “As Americans look behind the curtain, they will see she does not have the extensive record of conservative achievements that Ron DeSantis boasts. It’s clear there is no way Nikki Haley can beat Donald Trump, and every dollar spent on her candidacy is an in-kind to the Trump Campaign. Ron DeSantis has the best combination of endorsements, ground game, and message in the early states, which is why the former president continues to attack only him. We are confident the Iowa voters will see who will best represent them and their values.”

The Florida governor is on track to visit all 99 counties in Iowa before caucus day, and his campaign launched their own $2 million ad buy in Iowa that will run for the next two months. The DeSantis campaign also relocated a third of its Florida staff to Iowa last month ahead of a final push for support.

Romeo also pointed to a Des Moines Register poll showing that 41% of Trump voters list DeSantis as their second choice, while just 16% said the same of Haley. The same poll showed Haley rising 6% in the polls to tie DeSantis at 16% as the first choice of likely Iowa Republican caucus-goers.

Both candidates are polling higher in Iowa than their national averages. DeSantis is averaging 17% in the Hawkeye State, leading Haley’s 14%, according to data from RealClearPolitics. Trump is still leading the field at 47.3% in Iowa, but is down from his national average of 58.5%.

Trump’s campaign also jumped in to comment on the escalating infighting between DeSantis and Haley by faintly praising the former South Carolina governor.

“In a big blow to Ron DeSanctimonious, a new report notes that Nikki ‘Birdbrain’ Haley will spend $10 million in advertising skewering DeSanctus in Iowa and New Hampshire,” a Trump campaign statement read, using two of the former President’s disparaging nicknames for DeSantis and one for Haley. “Based off recent polling in Iowa, Haley has pulled even with DeSanctus for distant second place, showing she is gaining momentum while he is dropping like a rock. New Hampshire polls are even worse for DeSanctus as one survey shows him plummeting to fourth place.”

DeSantis and Haley are likely to square off face-to-face at the fourth GOP debate in Tuscaloosa, Ala. on Dec. 6.