Haley counting on Democrats, liberals to infiltrate Republican primary: Trump

Washington, Jan 17 (IANS) Fresh out of winning the Iowa Caucus, former US President Donald Trump suggested that his Republican rival Nikki Haley needs President Joe Biden's supporters to “infiltrate” the party primary to perform well in New Hampshire.

The 'Granite State' primary on January 23 is the next stop for Republican candidates in the race for White House and Haley's last chance to emerge as the alternative to her former boss.

Making his first campaign trail appearance with former rival Vivek Ramaswamy, who dropped out of the presidential race, Trump told supporters in Atkinson, New Hampshire, that Haley “is counting on the Democrats and liberals to infiltrate your Republican primary".

The former President also slammed the speech Haley delivered after her third-place finish in Iowa, calling it “inappropriate” and “bad for unity", according to a New York Post report.

Despite finishing third, she claimed that the Republican primary was a two-person race between herself and Trump.

Addressing her supporters at her campaign headquarters at the Marriott Hotel in West Des Moines, she said that 70 per cent of Americans don't want another Trump-Biden rematch.

She slammed both the leaders for their “lack of vision for our country’s future” and argued that a Trump nomination will result in “another toss-up election”.

"Trump and Biden are both about 80-years-old, yet Trump and Biden both put our country trillions of dollars deeper in debt and our kids will never forgive them for it," she said.

“The Democrats are supporting (Haley) because she’s easy to beat,” Trump said, arguing that her supporters are “pro-Biden” and that if “she wins, Biden wins".

Standing alongside the former President, Ramaswamy made a fiery eight-minute speech, which was followed by Trump supporters chanting "VP VP VP".

Addressing the crowd, Ramaswamy said America needs a "commander-in-chief who will lead us to victory in this war".

“I am asking you to do the right thing and to vote for Donald J. Trump as your next president because we don’t have a lot of time,” Ramaswamy said.

Meanwhile, the next Republican debate, scheduled for Thursday has been cancelled after Haley said she will not appear on the stage unless Trump, who has so far "ducked" all the party debates, takes part.