Anti-Trump Republican senators are reportedly starting to see former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, rather than Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, as their top choice to defeat former President Donald Trump.
Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) is one of those encouraging Republicans to come together in support of an alternative to Trump, and currently, he seems to consider Haley as that individual.
“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,” he said.
Other Republican senators have also publicly recognized Haley as a contender who is “starting to move ahead” in the race.
“I do believe that she’s starting to move ahead. To use the [Formula 1 racing] analogy, she’s probably in the P2 position now, moved up ahead of DeSantis,” Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) said following the Koch family-backed PAC Americans for Prosperity backing the presidential hopeful.
“If DeSantis doesn’t perform in Iowa, and she does, then it sets her up for New Hampshire, and it becomes an interesting contest,” Tillis, who is not making an endorsement, continued, noting that DeSantis “peaked early and probably was playing it