Haley sees biggest lead over Biden among GOP rivals in hypothetical matchup, poll finds

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Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley says that she's telling 'the hard truths' to voters

Former ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley says her apparent upward trajectory in the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination comes down to her telling the 'hard truths.'

A new poll finds that former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley is the only 2024 Republican presidential candidate with such a lead over President Biden in a hypothetical matchup that it exceeds the margin of error.

A Thursday CNN poll found that former President Donald Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and other major GOP candidates would be in a dead heat with Biden in the general election with the margin of error factored in. Only Haley showed a clear advantage in polling.

The poll found that Trump enjoyed 47% support from respondents compared to Biden's 46%, but the results were within the poll's margin of error. Former Vice President Mike Pence's result was also within the margin of error, beating out Biden 46% to 44%. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., received the same result as Pence, while businessman Vivek Ramaswamy trailed Biden 45% to 46%. DeSantis was in a dead heat with Biden at 47% each.

Haley was the only one to escape the margin of error, however, beating Biden with a solid 49% support to his 43%.

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Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley is the only 2024 Republican Presidential candidate who would defeat President Biden in the general election, according to a new poll. (Fox News Photo/Joshua Comins)

Republican primary polling tells a different story, however, with every candidate trailing miles behind Trump. DeSantis is the only Trump challenger consistently polling in the double digits.

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Haley, who served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations under Trump, is basing her campaign on her foreign policy expertise and her experience as governor of South Carolina.

She has also pressed for increased scrutiny on aging politicians, saying elderly officials across the country should be required to their mental acuity.

President Biden, 80, is the oldest person ever to run for president, followed closely by former President Donald Trump, who is 77. (Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Haley mocked the U.S. Senate last week as a "nursing home" following the latest health scare from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

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"It's sad," she told Fox News of his second public freezing incident. "No one should feel good about seeing that any more than we should feel good about seeing Dianne Feinstein, any more than we should feel good about a lot of what’s happening or seeing Joe Biden’s decline."

"What I will say is, right now, the Senate is the most privileged nursing home in the country," Haley added. "I mean, Mitch McConnell has done some great things and he deserves credit. But you have to know when to leave."

Nikki Haley, who served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations under former President Donald Trump, is basing her campaign on her foreign policy expertise and her experience as governor of South Carolina. (Fox News Photo/Joshua Comins)

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Haley has endorsed requiring all politicians over the age of 75 to complete mental competency tests before being allowed to run for re-election.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This report has been updated to clarify the poll results in relation to its margin of error.