Haley super PAC launching first ad of 2024 campaign cycle

The super PAC supporting presidential candidate Nikki Haley launched its first ad of the 2024 campaign cycle Tuesday, highlighting the former United Nations ambassador’s tough stance on China.

“Communist China won’t just lose. Like the Soviet Union before it, Communist China will end up on the ash heap of history,” Haley says in a clip featured in the 30-second ad shared by SFA Fund Inc., the super PAC backing the former South Carolina governor’s 2024 bid.

“While other presidential hopefuls shy away from taking a stance on Chinese oppression, Haley continues the fight to put America first,” Haley’s campaign said in an accompanying release. 

The PAC has placed a $6.2 million ad buy in New Hampshire and a $7 million ad buy in Iowa, a spokesperson told The Hill. 

The ad is set to run across broadcast, cable and digital streaming services in the two early primary states over the next nine weeks.

The campaign’s first television ad of the 2024 cycle comes nearly six months after Haley became the first big-name Republican to get in the Republican primary race against former President Trump, under whom Haley served as former U.N. ambassador. 

“Unlike other political leaders, Nikki Haley understands that China’s growing influence poses a monumental threat to the United States. Whether it’s a farmer impacted by dubious Chinese trading practices, businesses worried about hacks, or balloons spying on our servicemen and women, Americans can count on Nikki Haley to have their back,” said SFA lead strategist Mark Harris.

Haley is among the GOP presidential hopefuls expected to join the first primary debate in Milwaukee later this month.

Haley has polled at 4 percent in the latest two Morning Consult surveys of the GOP field. Last month, she shrugged off a Fox News survey that showed her with 3 percent and Trump in the lead with 56 percent, saying “national polls just don’t matter right now.”

“Nikki Haley is at it again — saying one thing and doing the complete opposite,” said New Hampshire Democratic Party spokesperson Aida Ross in a statement.

“Her tough talk on China doesn’t bear out with her actual record — she parroted Donald Trump’s praise for China as ambassador to the UN, and welcomed hundreds of millions of dollars of investments from Chinese businesses when she was governor. Granite Staters are going to see right through Haley’s desperate spin,” Ross said.

Updated at 2:03 pm ET.