{"id":2122472,"date":"2023-12-12T05:07:01","date_gmt":"2023-12-12T10:07:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/desantis-and-haley-forced-into-balancing-act-as-they-hold-fire-against-trump\/"},"modified":"2023-12-12T05:10:37","modified_gmt":"2023-12-12T10:10:37","slug":"desantis-and-haley-forced-into-balancing-act-as-they-hold-fire-against-trump","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/desantis-and-haley-forced-into-balancing-act-as-they-hold-fire-against-trump\/","title":{"rendered":"DeSantis and Haley walk tightrope, hold back on criticizing Trump"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdesantis-and-haley-forced-into-balancing-act-as-they-hold-fire-against-trump%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2122472&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Gov. \u2063Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley Face GOP Attacks for Not \u200cCriticizing Trump<\/h2>\n<p>Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) and former \u200bU.S. Ambassador to the United Nations \u2062Nikki Haley \u2063are\u2064 facing GOP attacks for their failure\u200b to criticize former President Donald Trump sufficiently as they duke\u2063 it out to be the \u2063sole \u200balternative \u2063in the 2024 \u2063GOP presidential race.<\/p>\n<p>Both DeSantis and Haley have approached criticism of\u2063 Trump carefully and intentionally, but such apprehension \u2064to pounce on their opponent has drawn criticism from some, namely former New Jersey Gov.\u200b Chris Christie, who is also vying for the \u2062Republican White House nomination.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>Christie&#8217;s Criticism<\/h3>\n<p>&#8220;This is the problem with my three colleagues. They&#8217;re afraid\u200b to\u200d offend Donald Trump,&#8221; Christie claimed on the Republican National Committee&#8217;s \u200bdebate stage last\u200b week, noting that Haley, DeSantis,\u200d and entrepreneur\u2063 Vivek Ramaswamy are hesitant to go after\u200c Trump in \u200ca fierce manner or on certain topics.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>One strategist has a theory\u200c as to why this is. &#8220;It hasn\u2019t worked for Christie,&#8221; Iowa Republican strategist\u2062 David\u2063 Kochel said of the former governor&#8217;s consistent attacks on Trump. &#8220;His\u200c negatives \u200dare through the roof.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I don\u2019t think it\u2064 would be beneficial for them to be more blunt \u2062in their criticism of Trump,&#8221; \u2064said \u200dAndrew Smith, director of the University\u200c of New Hampshire Survey Center, who also pointed to Christie &#8220;having the lowest favorability rating of\u2062 any \u2063candidate.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>He added that &#8220;about half of \u2062primary\u2063 voters [say] he\u2019s the candidate they will not vote\u2063 for under \u2063any circumstances.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>As Smith explained, Christie&#8217;s\u200d strategy\u200b of \u2064focusing his\u200b campaign on criticizing Trump hasn&#8217;t gained him traction during the 2024 race, in\u200b which he has remained\u200c in the single digits nationally. In New Hampshire, where he has been spending \u2063nearly all of\u200b his\u2063 campaign, he still falls significantly \u200bbehind Trump and several points behind \u200cHaley, according to the RealClearPolitics polling average in\u200c the state.<\/p>\n<p>Further, the former New Jersey governor is wildly unfavorable among Republicans. \u2064According to a recent Monmouth \u200cUniversity Poll, he was seen as favorable by just 12%, while 65%\u200b had unfavorable opinions of him.<\/p>\n<p>While Christie hit his opponents for refusing to denounce \u2063Trump as explicitly as he has and continues\u2062 to\u200d do, they each notably\u2062 qualified for the \u2062fourth debate easily. On\u200d the other\u200d hand, there \u200bwas significant\u200d concern\u200c that \u200cChristie may not\u200d qualify for the\u200c matchup because it was disputed \u200dwhether\u200b he reached the national polling threshold. However, he ultimately qualified\u200b to take\u2063 the stage, per the \u200dRNC.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>Strategist&#8217;s Perspective<\/h3>\n<p>Haley and DeSantis aren&#8217;t pouncing on Trump because they &#8220;are trying to attract Trump voters that\u2064 like the former president but might want an alternative,&#8221; according to Republican\u2063 strategist Ron Bonjean.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>In\u2062 the latest Des Moines Register\/NBC News\/Mediacom Iowa poll, 46% \u200cof \u200bvoters said they are still open to supporting a different candidate and are not locked in with just five weeks until the caucuses. DeSantis and Haley are the top two second choices in the survey, suggesting there \u2062are\u2064 likely \u200cTrump supporters who could end up choosing them, or vice versa, given Trump is\u2063 also the second \u2062choice \u200bof 13%\u200b of respondents. If attacks were to be elevated against Trump, opponents might risk\u200d the \u200bconsideration of those\u200b voters.<\/p>\n<p>This, he \u200bnoted, \u200cis\u2063 &#8220;a difficult situation&#8221; because they remain far \u200cbehind Trump and can&#8217;t afford &#8220;not \u2062to start taking more chances.&#8221;\u200b However, taking chances on \u200bnew and\u2064 harsher lines of attack against Trump\u200d is &#8220;a high-risk, \u2064<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/washington-examiners-sarah-bedford-says-bidens-cognitive-wellness-is-only-thing-both-parties-agree-on\/\" title=\"Both parties agree on Biden's cognitive wellness, according to Sarah Bedford of the Washington Examiner.\">low-reward situation<\/a>.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Kochel echoed \u2062the risky nature of \u2064these attacks, claiming, &#8220;At this point it, if\u2064 there\u2019s\u200c something we know would work, it \u200bwould have been done.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We don&#8217;t know&#8221; if taking it to Trump as they have other opponents\u200d would be effective, explained Republican\u200c strategist Doug Heye. &#8220;We just know that it hasn&#8217;t been tried.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>DeSantis has \u2062been\u2062 willing to hit Trump for not delivering on his \u2063campaign\u2063 promises, namely \u2064finishing \u2063the \u200d<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-faces-backlash-after-crushing-border-wall-developments\/\" title=\"Biden faces backlash after crushing border wall developments\">southern border wall<\/a>, and for his inability to serve two terms if\u2063 he&#8217;s reelected in 2024. Though he \u200bhasn&#8217;t waded into the name-calling\u2064 and more pointed criticism that Trump has\u200d employed \u200bagainst him.<\/p>\n<p>Haley \u200dhas\u200c relied\u2062 on tying Trump \u200dto baggage \u200band chaos, without being all \u2062that specific. She&#8217;s further done \u200bso without necessarily taking positions on\u2063 the legal troubles Trump \u200bis facing.\u200b &#8220;Rightly\u200d or wrongly, chaos follows him,\u201d Haley said recently. \u201cAnd we can\u2019t have a\u200b country\u200c in disarray in\u2064 a world on fire and survive this chaos. We\u200d have \u200cto have a new generational conservative leader.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Either of them could have \u200cbeen hammering \u2063home that Trump has\u2064 spent a significant \u2064amount of time in\u200b court instead\u200b of on the\u200b campaign trail and pointing to his\u200d legal trouble as a distraction from \u200dbeating President Joe Biden, Heye said. &#8220;None of\u200b them have ever\u2064 made that case,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Their official position in all of this is Donald\u2063 Trump \u2064is \u2063a victim, and I&#8217;m not going to do anything politically \u2062to benefit,&#8221; he said. &#8220;OK, so how are \u2063you going to win? You&#8217;re not because you&#8217;re not \u2062really \u2064trying to win.&#8221;<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>Future Contrasts<\/h3>\n<p>&#8220;Right now, Haley and DeSantis are \u2064fighting to get into \u200b [second] place\u200c so they can be the \u200calternative to Trump,&#8221; Republican strategist John Feehery explained. &#8220;When they get to\u200c be that alternative, that\u2019s \u200dwhen they need to start defining differences with Trump.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Smith\u200d predicted these \u2064contrasts may \u2062be drawn\u2064 sooner,\u200b suggesting that &#8220;both DeSantis and Haley \u2062will get more\u200c pointed\u200b in their \u200bcriticism \u2064as the [New Hampshire] \u2062 primary approaches.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>CLICK HERE TO READ MORE \u2063FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER<\/strong><\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What potential benefits \u2064and risks do DeSantis and Haley face by not directly confronting Trump and instead positioning themselves as a more moderate alternative<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Would be successful, Bonjean added, noting that &#8220;it&#8217;s \u2063a big gamble, and it could \u200bblow\u2062 up in their faces.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>However, not everyone agrees with this cautious approach. Some critics argue that DeSantis and Haley are failing in their duty to hold Trump accountable for his actions \u200band rhetoric.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>Failing to Confront Trump<\/h3>\n<p>One of\u2063 the key\u200c issues raised by critics is the reluctance of DeSantis and Haley to call out Trump for his controversial statements and policies. They argue that as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/desantis-appears-to-be-a-popular-lead-for-2024-straw-poll-shows\/\" title=\"DeSantis Appears To Be A Popular Lead For 2024, Straw Poll Shows\">potential presidential candidates<\/a>, it is their responsibility to \u2064stand\u2064 up to the former president and show leadership.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>According to Lisa Lerer, a political reporter for The New York Times, &#8220;Trump&#8217;s hold on the party has made it nearly impossible for other Republicans to carve out a separate path. The fear of \u200bincurring his wrath and alienating his supporters is a powerful deterrent.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>This fear is not unfounded.\u2062 Trump still commands a \u2064loyal following within the GOP, and any direct\u2062 criticism of him \u200bcould result in backlash from his base.<\/p>\n<p>In addition, the political landscape has \u200dchanged significantly since Trump\u200c left office.\u2064 The Republican Party has become more divided, with Trumpian populism on one\u200b side and traditional conservatism on the other. DeSantis and Haley must navigate this delicate\u2062 balance in\u2064 order to\u2064 stay relevant in the party.<\/p>\n<p>While some critics view their cautious approach as a weakness, others see\u200d it as a strategic move. By\u200d not directly \u2064confronting Trump,\u2062 DeSantis and Haley \u200dare able to position themselves \u2062as a more palatable alternative to the former president.<\/p>\n<p>As Bonjean explained, &#8220;If they\u200b can convince\u200b enough voters that they are the true\u2064 heirs to Trump&#8217;s agenda, but without the divisive rhetoric and controversial behavior, they could\u2062 emerge as strong contenders in the \u20622024 race.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>In conclusion, the reluctance of Gov. Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley to criticize former\u200c President Donald Trump has drawn criticism from within \u2064the GOP. However, their cautious \u200capproach may be a strategic\u200b move to \u200cappeal to Trump&#8217;s base while also positioning \u200bthemselves as a more moderate\u200c alternative. Whether this strategy will pay off remains\u2063 to be seen, but one thing is clear \u2013 the\u2064 battle for the 2024 GOP nomination is shaping up to be a fierce competition.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) and ex-U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley face GOP backlash for not adequately criticizing ex-President Donald Trump. They vie to be the sole alternative in the 2024 GOP presidential race. Both DeSantis and Haley tread cautiously when it comes to Trump criticism<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2122473,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2122472","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2122472","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2122472"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2122472\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2122473"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2122472"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2122472"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2122472"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}