A super PAC supporting former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley’s bid for the Republican presidential nomination is going after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over China in the final days before the Iowa caucuses.
The new ad describes China as Florida’s most important trading partner and criticizes Mr. DeSantis for expanding a Chinese-owned U.S. subsidiary near U.S. military bases in the state.
“DeSantis called China ‘Florida’s most important trading partner,'” the voiceover begins, before referring to the opening of two new Cirrus Aircraft locations.
“Nikki Haley’s ad is full of patently false lies about Ron DeSantis’ career and reeks of desperation to distract from her own disastrous parental history.” Spokesman Brian Griffin said in a statement regarding the ad. “She invited her China to her own state, ceded her land and even stood in front of her Chinese flag and said, ‘I’m working for you now.'”
DeSantis and Haley are in a dogfight for the No. 2 spot in Iowa. The Decision Desk HQ/The Hill poll tally has DeSantis leading him by nearly 1 percentage point. Both are far behind former President Trump.
In New Hampshire, Haley ranks second in the Decision Desk and The Hill polls, well ahead of DeSantis but trailing Trump by double digits.
Haley and DeSantis have repeatedly fought over China.
The two sides clashed over the issue during the third Republican presidential debate in November.
DeSantis has criticized Haley for collusion with China when she was governor of South Carolina.
In December, DeSantis’ team posted a video on Platform did.
“Ron DeSantis is desperately repeating the lies debunked by fact checkers because he’s losing in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina,” a spokesperson for Haley’s campaign told The Hill at the time. Ta. “It’s clear this is a two-man battle between Nikki Haley and Donald Trump. DeSantis is just desperate for attention.”
Both DeSantis and Haley are scheduled to participate in separate events at Iowa City Hall that will be broadcast live on CNN on Thursday.
This article was updated at 1:47 p.m.
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