Nikki Haley and Tim Scott hint how they’ll attack GOP presidential rivals at debate

South Carolina presidential hopefuls Nikki Haley and Tim Scott are unsheathing their political knives against their Republican rivals ahead of the third GOP debate Wednesday.

The two candidates’ campaigns disseminated brutal internal memos bashing their foes, including front-runner Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and laying out a game plan almost two months out from the party’s first primary contest.

“Nikki is the ONLY viable alternative to Trump,” Haley’s campaign wrote in a memo. “Despite the DeSantis’s team’s outlandish and nonsensical claims, we would be thrilled if he packed it up before Iowa. Given his campaign cash burn rate, we just might get our wish.”

DeSantis’ campaign operation in Iowa has recently been buoyed by news of Gov. Kim Reynolds’ (R-La.) forthcoming endorsement in a Des Moines rally later in the day Monday.

An endorsement from a sitting governor of Iowa is rare and highly coveted. DeSantis is behind Trump and in second place in Iowa at 18%, followed by Haley at 12.5%, per the RealClearPolitics aggregate.

But the Haley campaign downplayed the governor’s position in the Hawkeye State, contending he is not faring as well in subsequent contests such as New Hampshire and South Carolina.

Haley is averaging in second place behind Trump in both New Hampshire and South Carolina, while DeSantis sits in third place in both those states, according to the RealClearPolitics aggregates.

Meanwhile, Bryan Griffin, press secretary for DeSantis’ campaign, said it’s “a two-man race” between the Florida governor and Trump.

“Team Trump knows it — that’s why they’re spending over $1 million this week alone to attack DeSantis,” Griffin stressed.

“Ron DeSantis has a stronger combination of endorsements, fundraising and ground game in the early states than any other candidate. Meanwhile, Nikki Haley struggles to answer for her abysmal record on China, accepting refugees from Gaza, and the UN,” he added.

“With all the attacks and attention focused on DeSantis, we know we are over the target and primed to win this nomination.”

Scott’s campaign predicted a viscious matchup between Haley and DeSantis onstage in Miami, Fla., on Wednesday.

“We all know what will happen,” Scott’s campaign manager Jennifer Decasper wrote in a memo.

“Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis will devolve into a slugfest. She’ll attack him for the failing candidate that he is. He’ll attack her for being the moderate that she is. They’ll both be right.”

Decasper dubbed Haley, former US ambassador to the UN, as the “darling of Never Trumpers” and ripped the Florida governor for failing to deliver an optimistic message.

“Tim Scott is the best candidate to flip swing states that President Trump lost in 2020 and create a red wave up and down the ballot,” his camp said.

Haley appointed Scott to the Senate back in 2013.

Notably, Scott went unmentioned in the memo circulated by Haley’s campaign.

Republicans are set to tussle onstage at Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts starting at 8 p.m. EST.

NBC news is co-hosting the event and has tapped “Meet The Press” moderator Kristen Welker and “NBC Nightly News” anchor Lester Holt to co-moderate it alongside conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt.

Trump is expected to skip the verbal bout and instead hold a rally in nearby Hialeah, Fla., about a 30-minute drive from the debate stage.

The former president is way out in front of the GOP pack nationally with 58.5% support, followed by DeSantis at 13.3%, Haley at 8.4%, Ramaswamy at 4.5%, Christie at 2.5%, and Scott at 1.7%, per the latest RealClearPolitics aggregate.