WATCH: New conservative tech company inspired by swing state election losses aims to flip script on Democrats
A new technology company called RallyRight, LLC recently launched a national roll-out of products it hopes will give conservative candidates a fundraising and voter turnout advantage in the upcoming 2024 elections and beyond. In an interview with Fox News Digital, RallyRight founder and former Republican Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler said her inspiration for the company stemmed from her run-off election loss in 2021, as well as her desire to flip the script on Democrats, who she said have “outmanned, outnumbered and outraised” Republicans in other recent elections. She hopes the roll-out of the company’s two major platforms, DonateRight and FieldRight, will help other conservatives in swing Senate seats and House districts avoid the multiple back-to-back losses they’ve experienced in Georgia. WATCH: VETERAN AIR FORCE COMMANDER JOINS RACE FOR CONGRESS, SAYS MOMENT ‘TOO IMPORTANT’ FOR CAREER POLITICIANS “I’m an entrepreneur at heart, and I’ve been a long-time GOP activist, so this really combines all my passions and, really, learning from 2020,” Loeffler told Fox. “I thought to myself, we’re doing things in politics that we’d never do in business. So I vowed to fix it when I had the opportunity. And that’s what I’ve done.” Her model was to first build up an organization like Greater Georgia — a non-profit she started in 2021 that aims to register more conservatives to vote — which she said ensured the proper advocacy, election integrity and grassroots support was in place. Then, RallyRight’s technology would “fortify the infrastructure” needed to win up and down the ballot. DonateRight is a payment technology platform designed to help candidates maximize their fundraising, and FieldRight is a gig economy app that helps campaigns enhance their voter outreach programs through advanced mapping algorithms, and canvassing contractor network matching. WAR VETERAN SETS MAJOR FUNDRAISING RECORD IN BID TO FLIP CRUCIAL SENATE SEAT FROM DEMOCRATS “For conservatives, it’s really designed from a cost efficiency perspective that it’s available for small campaigns, which are too often overlooked, and it’s feature rich and scalable for very large national campaigns,” Loeffler said. She said both platforms saw “tremendous early success” when deployed on a smaller scale during the 2023 off-year election cycle, and helped a number of smaller, municipal and state-level candidates have the resources they needed to conduct fundraising, know where their persuadable voters were located, and even reach Spanish-speaking voters. “That’s the kind of flexibility you can have at a fraction of the price of a traditional doors program, and it can be stood up in a matter of a few days,” she said. SWING STATE DEMOCRATS REDUCED CRIMINAL PENALTIES, WEAKENED PAROLE LAWS AHEAD OF ATTACK ON LAS VEGAS JUDGE Loeffler stressed the need for conservatives to shift from a defensive mindset to an offensive one, and that it would require being active in the field and meeting voters where they are. “Both of these products are designed to really break the left’s full court press, and that’s where we get back on offense, and we start scoring against them,” she said. When asked what impact she saw RallyRight having on the 2024 election and in the future, Loeffler argued that narrower margins of victory meant it was imperative to seize the controllable factors about a campaign’s performance, especially in the wake of a “two-tiered justice system playing out before our eyes.” “We have to have the funds. We have to have the resources. And what I did was design tools that put those resources in the hands of more campaigns to win more races up and down the ticket, because if we don’t push back on the left’s lead and technology, we’re going to get further and further behind, not just on fundraising, but on persuasion, advocacy and turnout,” she said. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub
A ‘cultural genocide’: Which of Gaza’s heritage sites have been destroyed?
An ancient harbour dating back to 800 BC, a mosque that was home to rare manuscripts and one of the world’s oldest Christian monasteries are just a few of at least 195 heritage sites that have been destroyed or damaged since Israel’s war on Gaza began on October 7, according to an NGO documenting war damage on cultural sites. Wiping out the cultural heritage of a people is one of the many war crimes South Africa alleges against Israel in a lawsuit that was heard this past week at the International Court of Justice. It states: “Israel has damaged and destroyed numerous centres of Palestinian learning and culture”, including libraries, religious sites and places of ancient historical importance. Gaza, one of the world’s longest inhabited areas, has been home to a pastiche of people since at least the 15th century BC, according to historians. Empires – including the ancient Egyptians, Assyrians and Romans – have come and gone, at times dominating the land of the Canaanites, the ancestors of the Palestinians, leaving relics of their own cultural heritage behind. Greeks, Jews, Persians and Nabateans have also lived along this stretch of coast over the centuries. Strategically located on the Mediterranean’s eastern shores, Gaza was always in a prime position on the trade routes from Eurasia to Africa. Its ports made it a regional hub for commerce and culture. Since at least 1300 BC, the Via Maris – a route running from Heliopolis in ancient Egypt, cutting across Gaza’s western coastline and then crossing into Syrian lands – was the main route that travellers would take on their journeys to Damascus. “The crime of targeting and destroying archaeological sites should spur the world and UNESCO into action to preserve this great civilisational and cultural heritage,” Gaza’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said after Gaza’s Great Omari Mosque was destroyed in an Israeli air strike on December 8. As a result of that particular strike, an ancient collection of manuscripts kept at the mosque may be forever lost. “The manuscript collections remained in the vicinity of the mosque and are currently inaccessible because of the continuing conflict,” Columba Stewart, the CEO of the Hill Museum and Manuscript Library (HMML), told Al Jazeera soon after the strike. The 1954 Hague Convention, agreed to by both Palestinians and Israelis, is supposed to safeguard landmarks from the ravages of war. Isber Sabrine, president of an international NGO that documents cultural heritage, explained that crimes affecting cultural heritage are part of the “collateral damage of genocide”. “Libraries serve as cultural repositories, and attacking them is an attack on cultural heritage. What is happening now is a war crime. It goes against the first Hague convention,” Sabrine said. “Israel is trying to erase the connection of the people with their land. It’s very clear and intentional. Gaza’s heritage is part of its people, it’s history and their connection.” While cultural genocide erases tangible heritage like museums, churches and mosques, intangible heritage includes customs, culture and artefacts. These, too, have been damaged, including the Union of Palestinian artists on Jalaa Street in Gaza City and the well-known clay pots once baked in the city’s al-Fawakhir district. In a statement to Al Jazeera, UNESCO said: “While priority is rightly given to the humanitarian situation, the protection of cultural heritage in all its forms must also be taken into account. In accordance with its mandate, UNESCO calls on all actors involved to strictly respect international law. Cultural property should not be targeted or used for military purposes, as it is considered to be civilian infrastructure.” Here’s a closer look at some of the sites that have been destroyed or damaged: Museums There are four museums in Gaza, and two have been levelled, the International Council of Museums-Arab (ICOM-Arab) confirmed to Al Jazeera. Al Qarara Museum in Khan Younis was once filled with pieces of ancient history, said to date back to the Canaanite era [File: Khalil Hamra/AP Photo] The Rafah Museum had completed a 30-year project to curate a collection of ancient coins, copper plates and jewellery, making it Gaza’s main museum of Palestinian heritage. It was an early victim in the war, destroyed in an air strike on October 11. Farther east and once sitting on a hilltop, Al Qarara Museum (also known as the Khan Younis Museum) was opened in 2016 by Mohamed and Najla Abu Lahia, a husband and wife team who said they wished to preserve a history of Gaza’s lands and heritage for generations to come. Its collection consisted of about 3,000 artefacts dating back to the Canaanites, the Bronze Age civilisation that lived in Gaza and across much of the Levant in the second century BC. All that remains of the museum now are shards of pottery and smashed glass that has been blown out of the widows during an October air strike. Al Qarara Museum was once filled with 3,000 artefacts dating back to the Canaanite era [File: Abdelhakim Abu Riash/AJE] ICOM-Arab told Al Jazeera this museum was given advanced warning by Israeli forces to empty its contents and evacuate to the south of Gaza. The Mathaf al-Funduq, a small museum opened in 2008 and housed in the Mathaf Hotel in northern Gaza, was damaged by shelling on November 3. The 13th century Qasr Al-Basha in Gaza City was hit by Israeli air strikes last month [File: Emmanuel Donald/AFP] In Gaza City, the 13th-century Qasr Al-Basha, or Pasha’s Palace, was turned into a museum in 2010 by the Palestinian Ministry of Tourism, and a collection of artefacts from different periods of Gaza’s history was on display. The site was hit by Israeli air strikes on December 11, damaging its walls, courtyard and gardens. Like many of the heritage sites in Gaza, this building has changed ownership and functions several times over its history. The two-storey fort, built by Mamluk ruler Sultan Zahir Baybars in the mid-13th century, was once a seat of power, constructed as a defence against the Crusaders and Mongol armies.
Namibia condemns Germany for defending Israel in ICJ genocide case
The Namibia presidency slams Germany for failing to draw lessons from its own genocide against Namibia people in the early 20th century. Namibia has criticised Germany’s “shocking decision” to support Israel in the genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) brought by South Africa, as Israel’s war on Gaza entered its 100th day. “Germany has chosen to defend in the ICJ the genocidal and gruesome acts of the Israeli government against innocent civilians in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian Territories,” the president of Namibia, Hage Geingob, said in a statement on X on Saturday. A two-day public hearing in the case at the World Court – the highest legal body of the United Nations – took place on Thursday and Friday during which South Africa and Israel presented their arguments. South Africa told the court on Thursday that Israel’s aerial and ground offensive – which has laid waste to much of the enclave and killed almost 24,000 people, according to Gaza health authorities – aimed to bring about “the destruction of the population” of Gaza. Israel accused South Africa of presenting a “distorted” view of the hostilities, denying that its military operation in Gaza is a state-led genocide campaign against Palestinians. The statement by the Namibian presidency added that Berlin was ignoring Israel’s killing of nearly 24,000 Palestinians in Gaza and various United Nations reports disturbingly highlighting the internal displacement of 85 percent of the besieged enclave’s 2.3 million people amid acute shortages of food and essential services. The Namibian president expressed “deep concern” over “the shocking decision” communicated by the government of Germany on Friday, in which “it rejected the morally upright indictment” brought forward by South Africa. “No peace-loving human being can ignore the carnage waged against Palestinians in Gaza,” it said. The statement claimed that Germany committed the first genocide of the 20th century in Namibia between 1904 and 1908, in which tens of thousands of innocent Namibians died in the most inhumane and brutal conditions. “Germany cannot morally express commitment to the United Nations Convention against genocide, including atonement for the genocide in Namibia, whilst supporting the equivalent of a holocaust and genocide in Gaza,” the presidency said. “President Geingob appeals to the German government to reconsider its untimely decision to intervene as a third-party in defence and support of the genocidal acts of Israel before the ICJ.” Atrocities in Namibia German colonial forces carried out atrocities in Namibia against the Indigenous Herero and Nama peoples between 1904 and 1908. The killings were part of a German campaign of collective punishment between 1904 and 1908 that is today recognised as the 20th century’s first genocide. The ICJ is likely to present a provisional measure in the coming days but a final verdict will take years. South Africa has urged the court to order an immediate halt to Israel’s devastating military offensive in Gaza. The 1948 Genocide Convention, enacted in the wake of the mass murder of Jews in the Nazi Holocaust, defines genocide as “acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group”. South Africa filed the ICJ case on December 19, accusing Israel of genocidal acts in Gaza. Several countries and international organisations have backed South Africa in its case, while Israel has received the backing of the United States, its main weapons supplier and close ally. Several global entities, including Human Rights Watch, have determined that Israel is engaging in war crimes in Gaza. Adblock test (Why?)
The dark underbelly of Pakistan’s male body image revolution
Karachi, Pakistan – In a small room in his modest family home, Asad Naqib Khan threads a sewing machine needle. As the rhythmic hum of the machine fills the air, the tailor’s gaze occasionally drifts over to the screen of his mobile phone in the hand of his oldest child. The father and son are watching bodybuilding videos on YouTube. Twenty-eight-year-old Asad is a father of five children aged 10 and younger. He is not just a tailor struggling to make ends meet — he is also an aspiring bodybuilder. “For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to become a bodybuilder,” he explains while hemming a shirt that morning in early 2022. “I used to watch older guys in my neighbourhood go to the gym and spend time building their strength and muscles.” As a teenager, he fantasised about doing the same. “Once, I went to watch a bodybuilding competition and wanted to become just like the men I saw on the stage,” he recalls. Asad grew up with eight siblings and remembers how his father, a daily wage labourer, would struggle to find regular work to support his family. As the eldest son, Asad felt compelled to share his father’s financial responsibilities as soon as he became a teenager. Leaving middle school meant he had limited options, but instead of opting to become a labourer like most men from his neighbourhood, he decided to apprentice with a tailor. When he was 18, he branched out on his own. Over the years, however, he yearned for the one thing he believed would bring purpose and happiness to his life – to become a professional bodybuilder. “One of my biggest dreams is to make Pakistan proud by competing internationally and winning for the country,” he explains. But it wasn’t until 2019, when he met Zahir Shah, a former bodybuilding champion in his 40s who owns a gym in a busy Karachi neighbourhood, that Asad began on this path. Asad finishes sewing the shirt and hands it to his son to fold. He says that his children, particularly the two boys, take delight in watching his workout videos. “They urge me to work out harder so I win first place. God willing, I will make them proud.” He envisions introducing his sons to bodybuilding, and also has aspirations to open his own gym, like Zahir, which his boys can one day help him run “so I don’t have to work as a tailor any more.” Asad Naqib Khan, 28, works as a tailor by day to support his family and his bodybuilding ambitions [Saad Zuberi/Al Jazeera] A hidden world The world of Pakistani bodybuilding is one that few outsiders ever get to see. With no state funding, national structure, or regulation, the sport thrives in the shadows, haphazardly managed by about a dozen independent federations scattered across the country. The growing global interest in fitness and bodybuilding culture has fuelled local interest in the sport with a surge in Pakistanis flocking to their local neighbourhood gyms. Young men train tirelessly to showcase their physiques for competition judging panels through a series of poses to highlight muscle definition, size and symmetry. Since Pakistan’s first championship was held in 1952, bodybuilding has remained largely a working-class pursuit – it is often referred to as a “poor man’s sport” within the community – and confined to small-scale regional and national competitions. But the sport has undergone a profound transformation in recent years owing to international exposure through social media, gaining wider attention and affording its star bodybuilders unprecedented opportunities. The prospect of participating in international championships, fame, cash prizes, travel, and potential modelling contracts has attracted thousands of men from Karachi to Peshawar and beyond. Aspiring bodybuilders with limited means spend their evenings after school or work fervently lifting weights beneath the glare of fluorescent gym lights and their coaches’ watchful eyes. Many see bodybuilding as the first step out of poverty and dead-end jobs. Some are drawn to the allure of social media stardom as they post photos of their chiselled bodies online, while others dream of breaking into the modelling industry. Through interviews with bodybuilders and other industry insiders over reporting carried out between September 2021 and January 2024, we learn how men navigating the intersection of bodybuilding and modelling are exposed to worlds that both celebrate, and exploit, physical appearance. Coach Zahir, second from the left, gives Asad, left, and others a motivational talk at 1am before calling it a day [Saad Zuberi/Al Jazeera] The cost of bodybuilding It is almost midnight, and the abandoned streets of a quiet residential colony lined with weathered concrete homes are lit with the dim glow of flickering streetlights. On the second floor of a small building, the lights of Zahir’s gym still burn brightly. Despite the late hour, the gym is packed and buzzing with energy, and old Bollywood songs blare from the speakers at each end of the stuffy room. Asad, and about two dozen other young men, are busy lifting weights. Their dedication to their training, according to Zahir, is often driven by the urge to conform to the archetypical male beauty standard set by global celebrities and influencers. “Having big muscles has become a status of attractiveness because of what we see in movies from Hollywood and Bollywood … and these young boys also want to look like that,” he explains. “For most of these boys, looking good is far more important than just being healthy.” For many, it is a costly pursuit. “Building a body that stands out costs more than most of these men earn,” Zahir explains. The average monthly salary in Pakistan in 2023 was 81,925 rupees ($291) and most men entering the sport – either new graduates or unskilled workers – make significantly less. Balancing the responsibility of supporting their families amid Pakistan’s economic crisis with the financial demands of bodybuilding such as gym memberships, specialised diets, protein supplements, and professional coaching, is a huge challenge.
Bengaluru CEO Suchana Seth confronts estranged husband over son’s murder, police call it ‘blame game’
Venkat Raman told the Goa Police that Suchana Seth had not allowed him to meet their child for the past five Sundays.
DHS claims Border Patrol blocked by Texas from entering area to rescue migrants who later drowned
The Department of Homeland Security and a Texas congressman said Saturday that an adult migrant and two children have drowned in an area at the southern border where Texas was blocking Border Patrol from entering — but Texas authorities say they fully investigated the incident and did not see any migrants in distress. “Tragically, a woman and two children drowned last night in the Shelby Park area of Eagle Pass, which was commandeered by the State of Texas earlier this week,’ a DHS spokesperson said in a statement. Texas had taken control earlier this week of Shelby Park along the Rio Grande River, an area that had previously served as a staging area for processing during migrant surges in the busy crossing area. DHS had said it had been blocked from entering the area by Texas. The Texas Military Department said the move was to prepare for future illegal immigrant surges and to stop organizations that perpetuate crossings. WHITE HOUSE ACCUSES ABBOTT OF TRYING TO ‘POLITICIZE THE BORDER’ AFTER TEXAS SEIZES PARK ALONG RIO GRANDE In its statement, DHS said that “responding to a distress call from the Mexican government, Border Patrol agents were physically barred by Texas officials from entering the area.” “The Texas governor’s policies are cruel, dangerous, and inhumane, and Texas’s blatant disregard for federal authority over immigration poses grave risks. The State of Texas should stop interfering with the U.S. Border Patrol’s enforcement of U.S. law,” the statement said. Separately, a CBP spokesperson said the agency is saddened by the deaths and “gravely concerned by actions that prevent the U.S. Border Patrol from performing their essential missions of arresting individuals who enter the United States unlawfully and providing humanitarian response to individuals in need.” The White House also linked the drownings to what it called “political stunts” from Texas Gov. Abbott. “On Friday night, a woman and two children drowned near Eagle Pass, and Texas officials blocked U.S. Border Patrol from attempting to provide emergency assistance. While we continue to gather facts about the circumstances of these tragic deaths, one thing is clear: Governor Abbott’s political stunts are cruel, inhumane, and dangerous,” a spokesperson said. “U.S. Border Patrol must have access to the border to enforce our laws.” Earlier, Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, had issued a statement announcing the deaths. He said that Border Patrol attempted to contact Texas officials by phone after they learned of six migrants in distress, but were unsuccessful and had later verbally relayed information in person to Texas Military Department soldiers, who said they would not grant access to Border Patrol even in the event of an emergency. DOJ RENEWS SCOTUS PUSH TO ACT AFTER TEXAS SEIZES BORDER AREAS, BLOCKS BORDER PATROL FROM ENTERING “Border Patrol personnel were forced out of Shelby Park earlier this week by the Texas National Guard under order of Governor Abbott. As a result, Border Patrol was unable to render aid to the migrants and attempt to save them,” he said. In a statement of its own, the Texas Military Department confirmed it had been contacted by Border Patrol about a “migrant distress situation” and searched the river with lights and night vision goggles, but no migrants were observed. “At approximately 9:45pm TMD observed a group of Mexican authorities responding to an incident on the Mexico-side of the river bank,” the statement said. “TMD reported their observations back to Border Patrol and they confirmed that the Mexican authorities required no additional assistance. At that time TMD ceased search operations.” “At no time did TMD security personnel along the river observe any distressed migrants, nor did TMD turn back any illegal immigrants from the US during this period,” the agency said. “Also, at no point was TMD made aware of any bodies in the area of Shelby Park nor was TMD made aware of any bodies being discovered on the U.S. side of the border regarding this situation.” TEXAS SEIZES CONTROL OF PARK, BLOCKS BORDER PATROL FROM ENTERING, AS PART OF ANTI-ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION EFFORTS The department said it maintains water rescue equipment and works with local emergency services to aid migrants in need of medical attention. Tensions have been high between Texas and the federal government, with ongoing lawsuits related to Texas’ construction of razor wire and the administration’s cutting of it, the establishment of buoys in the Rio Grande, and a recent anti-illegal immigration law signed by Abbott. Speaking to Fox News Digital, Cuellar said he understands why the state can be frustrated by the government, but said that the incident showed that “you can’t just go solo on things.” “This is something where I think if people really want to talk about border security, the state should be working with the federal government instead of excluding them,” he said. He said that he has a great deal of respect for Texas authorities and noted his brother used to be an officer in the Department of Public Safety, but stressed the importance of state and federal agencies working together. “I just don’t understand what the purpose is of trying to exclude the Border Patrol from a particular area and it should be…less politics and more cooperation,” he said. Fox News’ Matt Finn, Bill Melugin and Andrew Murray contributed to this report.
Milind Deora quits Congress, says, ‘Ending my family’s 55-year relationship’
Deora, who recently expressed his displeasure over the Shiv Sena (UBT) staking a claim to the Mumbai South Lok Sabha constituency public, had told reporters that he was holding discussions with his supporters.
Chennai witnesses ‘poor air quality’ and dense smog, several flights delayed; check details here
The smog has reportedly impacted more than fifty arrivals and departures at Chennai International Airport.
Vivek Ramaswamy withholds ‘friendly fire’ after Trump attack: ‘I’m not going to criticize him’
Vivek Ramaswamy responded to Donald Trump’s scathing personal attack, saying that he would not return his comments with “friendly fire” or criticize the former president, but warned voters to “open their eyes.” “Yes, I saw President Trump’s Truth Social post. It’s an unfortunate move by his campaign advisors, I don’t think friendly fire is helpful,” Ramaswamy wrote in a late Saturday X post. “Donald Trump was the greatest President of the 21st century, and I’m not going to criticize him in response to this late attack,” the biotech multimillionaire continued. TRUMP SAYS VIVEK RAMASWAMY ‘NOT MAGA’ IN BLISTERING ATTACK AHEAD OF IOWA CAUCUSES: ‘DON’T GET DUPED’ The “America first” campaigner, who has long been complimentary of the former president, defended Trump’s accusations that he was “not MAGA” arguing that he has “defended him at every step.” “I’m worried for Trump. I’m worried for our country. I’ve stood up against the persecutions against Trump, and I’ve defended him at every step,” Ramaswamy said. “I showed up at the Miami courthouse in solidarity following his first federal indictment. I filed a FOIA demand to the Biden DOJ. I submitted an amicus brief this week with the U.S. Supreme Court calling on them to overturn Colorado’s ruling,” Ramaswamy continued. “I pledged to remove myself from Maine’s & Colorado’s primary ballots if they remove Trump, calling on DeSantis and Haley to do the same.” Ramaswamy continued, attacking presidential candidate Nikki Haley, calling her the left’s “puppet” and encouraging voters to “open their eyes.” “But we have to open our eyes. Last time it was a man-made pandemic & Big Tech election interference,” he wrote. HALEY ON DESANTIS HEADING TO SOUTH CAROLINA BEFORE NEW HAMPSHIRE: ‘WE DON’T HAVE TO HOP A STATE’ “Now, the same billionaires funding the lawsuits against Trump are the ones trying to prop up Nikki Haley. The same MSM blasting Trump is lavishing praise on Nikki,” Ramaswamy said. “They want to narrow this to a two-horse race between Trump & Haley, eliminate Trump (one way or other), & trot their puppet into the White House.” “We can’t fall for that trap. 1 year from now, we won’t look back and say we were shocked that it happened. We’ll kick ourselves for not stopping it,” he said. The GOP presidential candidate concluded his response by arguing that his “America First” movement did not start in 2016, but in 1776. “Our movement must live on. America-First didn’t start in 2016. It started in 1776,” Ramaswamy said. “We owe it to our Founding Fathers to do the right thing for our country. I want to save Trump & to save this country. Let’s do it together.” “You won’t hear any friendly fire from me,” he said. TRUMP FIRST, HALEY SECOND, DESANTIS THIRD IN HIGHLY ANTICIPATED FINAL POLL AHEAD OF IOWA CAUCUSES In a statement to Fox News Digital, Ramaswamy’s campaign spoke about the potential of Trump being removed from the presidential ballot. “Just because it’s wrong doesn’t mean it won’t happen & we owe it to our nation to take America-First forward,” Ramaswamy’s campaign said. Ramaswamy’s lengthy statement came after Trump and his team made direct, public attacks against the pharmaceutical entrepreneur. “Vivek started his campaign as a great supporter, ‘the best President in generations,’ etc.,” Trump wrote in a Saturday evening Truth Social post. “Unfortunately, now all he does is disguise his support in the form of deceitful campaign tricks. Very sly.” Trump said that Vivek is “not MAGA” and encouraged his supporters to not get “duped.” “A vote for Vivek is a vote for the ‘other side’ — don’t get duped by this. Vote for “TRUMP,” the former president said. “Don’t waste your vote! Vivek is not MAGA.” Nikki Haley’s campaign did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Haley on DeSantis heading to South Carolina before New Hampshire: ‘We don’t have to hop a state’
Nikki Haley said that she does not need to “hop a state” when reacting to the news that her presidential opponent, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, was headed to her home state before the New Hampshire primaries. “We’re going to do this one at a time. We played hard in Iowa. We’re playing hard in New Hampshire. We’re going to play hard in South Carolina. We’re going to keep on going. We don’t have to hop a state,” Haley said in an interview with Fox News Digital. “We’re going to play them all, and we’re going to make sure that we fight to earn every single vote.” The two-term South Carolina governor who later served as ambassador to the United Nations in the Trump administration said that while she welcomes DeSantis to her home state of South Carolina, she thinks it’s “a mistake.” “I think it’s a mistake to ignore New Hampshire that way,” Haley said. “But I welcome him to South Carolina if he wants.” SURPRISE MOVE: DESANTIS CAMPAIGN TRIES TO OUTFLANK HALEY IN HER OWN STATE AFTER IOWA CAUCUS Haley’s pointed remarks toward the Florida Governor come after DeSantis’ campaign announced that he would head to Greenville, South Carolina, where he’ll hold one rally on Tuesday morning. TRUMP TAKES NO CHANCES AS THE IOWA CAUCUSES APPROACH DeSantis later told Fox News that he would head later in the day to New Hampshire, which holds the first primary and second overall contest in the GOP nominating calendar on Jan. 23, eight days after the Iowa caucuses. Typically, Republican candidates transition to campaigning in New Hampshire following Monday’s Iowa caucuses. HALEY KNOCKS MEDIA EXPECTATIONS BUT LOOKS TO ‘BIG SHOWING’ IN IOWA South Carolina – another crucial early voting state – holds the first southern primary in the Republican schedule on Feb. 24. On Saturday night, the final Des Moines Register/Mediacom/NBC News poll of likely Republican caucusgoers was released. Trump stands at 48% support in the poll, with Haley at 20% and DeSantis at 16%. Multimillionaire biotech entrepreneur and first-time candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, who has relentlessly campaigned across the Hawkeye State the past couple of months, stands at 8% support in the poll. The survey, conducted by longtime pollster Ann Selzer, has a well-earned tradition of accuracy in past GOP presidential caucuses, and is considered by many as the gold standard in Iowa polling. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.