Haley: ‘National polls just don’t matter right now’

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R), one of several 2024 GOP contenders, said Sunday that it’s too soon for national polls to portray the final outcome of the next Republican primary for president.

“I think we can look at past presidential elections and understand that national polls just don’t matter right now,” Haley told Shannon Bream on “Fox News Sunday.” “I mean, we’ve got a debate in August, we’ve got a debate in September, we’ve got a debate in October. I have qualified to be on the debate stage.”

Bream pointed to a recent Fox News survey that showed Haley polling at three percent, which is well behind former President Trump’s lead at 56 percent. Haley said on Sunday that she has hosted more than 30 events in New Hampshire and 25 events in Iowa, adding that she believes the polling will turnaround for her by the fall.

“It’s not about how many people show up at your rallies. It’s how many times you show up and how hard of the questions you answer and how many hands you shake, and that’s what we’re doing,” she said.

“We’re not doing shortcuts,” she added. “We’re doing it the old fashioned way, the hard way, and I am confident that by fall, you’re gonna see those numbers are completely different than what they are right now.”

Haley entered the GOP presidential race earlier this year to challenge Trump and since then, many other candidates have jumped into the race. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has been polling in second-place to Trump in most of the national polls, as former Vice President Mike Pence, Sen Tim Scott (R-S.C) and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie remain behind.