Senate Republicans who don’t want Trump see one final chance to stop him in Nikki Haley

Several Republican senators are signaling their belief in former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley as the last chance to defeat former President Donald Trump in the 2024 Republican presidential primary.

Trump has maintained and even expanded his lead over Republican opponents in the 2024 primary race, with double-digit leads over all competitors. While Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) was once considered the only viable GOP alternative to the former president, Haley has shown promise by building off of the momentum she found after the first Republican debate in August.

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“I wouldn’t count out Nikki Haley. She came in as governor [of South Carolina] the year I came in as Speaker of the [North Carolina] House and I have a lot of admiration for the way she led South Carolina,” Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) told the Hill. Thillis, though, will not be endorsing in the primary.

Republican Whip John Thune (R-SD), along with Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD), both of whom previously endorsed Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) before he suspended his presidential campaign, agreed Haley is emerging as a potential force against Trump in the nominating contests.

“She’s acquitted herself really well in the debates and I think has done well out on the stump. Part of running for national office especially in those early states is relatability and I think she’s got a good retail political style. Seems to be winning over some people,” Thune said of the former ambassador.

However, Thune acknowledged Trump’s “very commanding lead” and noted that Haley’s ability to challenge him will hinge on how dramatically she can change the narrative.

Rounds also expressed some skepticism, saying, “The Republicans aren’t ready to make changes yet in their decision making — they’re getting closer. So I think her timing is probably pretty key.”

Ultimately, he said, the potential for a serious Trump challenge to occur will be contingent on the narrowing of the primary field.

“After the Iowa Caucuses, after New Hampshire, I think this will be narrowed down to a two-person race,” Rounds said. “I think she has momentum.”

Thillis agreed with this sentiment, explaining, “If DeSantis doesn’t perform in Iowa and she does, then it sets her up for New Hampshire and it becomes an interesting contest.”

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As it relates to DeSantis, Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) suggested, “She has better prospects than he does because her numbers are going up and his are coming down. Usually, you want to place your bet on someone who is doing better.” Romney has yet to endorse anyone in the race but has advised donors to coalesce behind one viable non-Trump option by late February.

Haley is expected to put on another powerful performance at the Republican debate Wednesday in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. She will likely compete against just two opponents onstage, DeSantis and Vivek Ramaswamy, who have also qualified for the fourth matchup. With less than two months until the Iowa Republican caucuses and just a few candidates left to share the stage with, the debate could play a significant role in the trajectory of any of the Republican hopefuls.