Haley releases first campaign ad, calling for ‘new generation of conservative leadership’
Julia Johnson
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Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley’s presidential campaign released its first ad of the primary cycle on Thursday, focusing on chaos at home and abroad and calling for “a new generation of conservative leadership.”
Haley, riding a wave of increased momentum since the first Republican primary debate in August, tells viewers, “A president must have moral clarity and know the difference between good and evil,” in the 30-second spot.
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She cites advancements being made by global adversaries China, Russia, and Iran, as well as the “chaos” happening at home. Security footage of people firing guns at one another is played, followed by a video of a pro-Palestinian demonstration, while Haley discusses the latter.
Neither former President Donald Trump, who leads the Republican primary field by a large margin, nor President Joe Biden, the expected Democratic nominee, is mentioned by name in the ad.
In the ad, the former South Carolina governor explains the country needs to “leave behind the chaos and drama of the past.” Haley has used the word “chaos” in relation to Trump, claiming it follows him. She hasn’t gone as far as to suggest he creates such chaos and has praised his past actions as president, but she has implied that Trump bears too much baggage and ushers in too much uncertainty.
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The ad, “Moral Clarity,” is part of a $10 million ad purchase in both Iowa and New Hampshire, according to her campaign. The ad will run on broadcast, cable, and digital beginning Friday.
“The world is on fire, and Americans are desperate for a leader with moral clarity who will make America strong and proud,” Haley campaign spokeswoman Olivia Perez-Cubas said in a statement. “Americans are tired of the chaos and drama of the past. Nikki Haley is the one candidate who offers both a new conservative direction for the country and is a hands-down winner against Joe Biden.”
While the video is the Haley campaign’s first ad, the super PAC supporting her White House bid, the Stand for America Fund, has been cutting ads in states such as Iowa and New Hampshire since the summer.
Haley has seen an upward trend in polls of early states and national measures in the past several months, giving Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), who was once considered the only candidate with the potential to challenge Trump, a run for his money.
In Iowa, which will host the first-in-the-nation Republican presidential caucuses on Jan. 15, the Des Moines Register/NBC News/Mediacom Iowa Poll showed Haley tied with the Florida governor. However, he still beats her in the footprint metric. In this metric, which calculates how many likely caucusgoers are considering each candidate, DeSantis ties Trump with the largest share. Haley falls second to DeSantis and Trump and is being considered by more than half.
In New Hampshire, Haley has passed DeSantis for second place to Trump, while the Florida governor has fallen behind to fifth place. The Granite State’s first-in-the-nation primary will take place on Jan. 23.
While Haley has seen a boost in these states, Trump holds a solid first place with double-digit leads on Haley and DeSantis.
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One advantage Haley has in her back pocket is a significantly larger war chest to use ahead of the state nominating contests. In the last quarterly fundraising report, DeSantis only had $5 million on hand available for use in the primary campaign. Haley went into the final months of the primary campaign with $9.1 million on hand.
As a result, the Haley campaign’s $10 million ad buy towers over the DeSantis campaign’s $2 million Iowa reservation in comparison.