Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley on Tuesday started airing a new television ad in her home state warning voters that former President Donald Trump is too old and too self-centered to be commander-in-chief.
“He just can’t help himself — the ranting, the raving, chaos follows him and he is getting older,” a male narrator says in the 30-second “Blessed” ad, which then turns to a video of Mr. Trump promising to “restore on this planet peace through Earth.”
Ms. Haley has vowed to stick in the Republican presidential primary contests through Super Tuesday on March 5, when 16 states hold nominating contests.
But there is a looming sense that her campaign will be on death watch unless she exceeds expectations in the Feb. 24 primary in South Carolina.
Mr. Trump has a massive polling lead in the state, and he has beat her handily in Iowa and New Hampshire.
Ms. Haley is not giving up hope. She is banking that a coalition of moderate Republicans and independents in South Carolina will show the political universe she still has a chance to derail Mr. Trump.
“Running to settle old scores, it is about him, not you,” the narrator says in the new Haley ad.
A woman’s voice takes over the narration from there, telling viewers Ms. Haley fought the South Carolina establishment as governor from 2011 to 2017, and went head-to-head with world leaders as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations in the Trump administration.
“A conservative, a patriot who knows we are blessed to live in America,” the narrator says.