MANCHESTER, N.H.—Ahead of the first-in-the-nation primary in New Hampshire on Jan. 23, supporters of GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley have one common reason for supporting the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and South Carolina governor—they do not want former President Donald Trump back in the White House.
In conversations with a dozen Haley supporters, an overarching theme was moving on from President Trump so that President Joe Biden is defeated in November.
Jim Nye of Raymond, New Hampshire, who voted for President Trump in the past, cited the Democrat attacks on President Trump, the former president’s legal troubles, and a need for fresh leadership as being behind his support of Ms. Haley.
He added that Ms. Haley “would go along with a lot of Trump’s ideas” that President Biden undid on issues including energy and border security.
About the border, said Mr. Nye, kids in New Hampshire have fallen victim to drugs, including fentanyl, that have crossed the southern border.
Melinda Tourangeau of Milford, New Hampshire, remarked that Ms. Haley can unify America, which Ms. Tourangeau said has been divided since President Trump’s predecessor, Barack Obama.
“I’ve had enough of it. This is not the America I grew up in,” she said.
“It used to be safe. It used to be friendly,” continued Ms. Tourangeau, who served in the military during the Gulf War. “We used to celebrate our patriotism. Where has that gone? I want it back.”
Rich Miller of Derry, New Hampshire, said he is supporting Ms. Haley because “she’s not Trump” and “that’s good enough.”
Ken Kleiner of Hudson, N.H., said that Ms. Haley is “the best choice right now because she’s a conservative, and I really can’t vote for Trump anymore, being a Christian.” Mr. Kleiner said that, as of a few days ago, he was going to vote for President Trump.
Sharley Raymond of Amherst, New Hampshire, stated that she is supporting the former South Carolina governor because “there needs to be a better option other than Donald Trump on the ballot in November.”
Kathy Carson of Milford said that Ms. Haley is “a more moderate voice than any of the other choices in the GOP primary” and “is somebody who could bring the country back together or at least begin that healing process.”
Additionally, she said, the former ambassador to the U.N. “knows how to speak and negotiate diplomatically, where I would say that President Trump does not have that ability” when it comes to dealing with foreign policy.
Ms. Haley served as ambassador under President Trump.
President Trump, said Ms. Carson, “leads with a hammer and says, ‘It’s my way or the highway, and if it’s not my way, I’m going to beat you down with a hammer.’
“So I don’t love that.”
Since beginning the final stretch of campaigning in New Hampshire after a close third-place finish in the Jan. 15 Iowa Caucus, Ms. Haley has turned up the heat on her former boss, going after him on issues from spending trillions of dollars to his mental fitness.
In her speeches, Ms. Haley has said that “rightly or wrongly, chaos follows” President Trump, who is facing 91 criminal charges across four cases.
She has also cited polls that show her easily beating President Biden in a hypothetical matchup while President Trump and his successor are in a dead heat.
Moreover, Ms. Haley has swatted down accusations made by President Trump, such as her being against a border wall, even though she has said there should be one in addition to other border security measures, and wanting to raise the retirement age to 70 when she has not called for such a thing.
Instead, Ms. Haley, an accountant, has said that the retirement age for future Social Security recipients, such as her two children, needs to be raised in order to make the entitlement solvent.
Additionally, the 52-year-old Ms. Haley has compared the 77-year-old President Trump’s mental acuity to that of President Biden, who is 81 years old.
For example, she has rebutted President Trump’s claim that Ms. Haley, whom he confused for former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), should have had better security at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Ms. Haley said she was not at the Capitol on that tragic day.
At the end of the day, Ms. Haley’s supporters said that she must do well in the New Hampshire primary.
“I think she has to come extremely close,” said Mr. Kleiner. “And then, obviously, win South Carolina.”
Ms. Carson echoed that sentiment.
“I think South Carolina is really where she has to draw the line,” she said.
“But I think in New Hampshire, she needs to have a strong showing if she doesn’t win like it needs to be close,” continued Ms. Carson, adding that Ms. Haley needs to have a single-digit differential between her and President Trump, who has enjoyed a commanding lead in the polls.
“I think she'll do pretty good. She needs to win,” said Mr. Nye.
Finally, Mr. Nye said he is “scared to death” at the possibility of Vice President Kamala Harris becoming president.
“Are you kidding me?” he said, acknowledging Ms. Haley’s common phrase that a vote for President Biden is a vote for a President Harris.
