Haley knocks media over expectations but predicts 'big showing' in Iowa caucuses

ANKENY, Iowa — A new poll in Iowa suggests that Nikki Haley has pulled ahead of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for a distant second place behind former President Trump in the race for the Republican presidential nomination.

But Haley appears to be staying disciplined when it comes to dabbling in expectations ahead of Monday's caucuses, which kick off the GOP 2024 nominating calendar.

"The media loves to set expectations," Haley said in an interview with Fox News in this Iowa city in suburban Des Moines. 

And repeating her well-used line, the former South Carolina governor who later served as ambassador to the United Nations in the Trump administration said "[M]y expectation for myself is to come out strong in Iowa, to come out strong in New Hampshire, and to come out strong in South Carolina."

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Former Ambassador to the United Nations and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, a 2024 Republican presidential candidate, poses for photos with supporters and other Iowa voters at a campaign event in Ankeny, Iowa, on Jan. 11, 2024. (Fox News/Paul Steinhauser)

New Hampshire holds the first primary and votes second in the Republican schedule, eight days after Iowa. And her home state holds the first southern contest in late February.

Leaving a bit of wiggle room, Haley added that "we're not going to know what strong looks like until we see what the results are."

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But Haley, pointing to her just-concluded campaign event, touted that "our people are excited. The momentum is real on the ground. You saw we had 300 people in that room. I think we're going to really make a big showing."

Former U.N. Ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, a 2024 Republican presidential candidate, speaks to the crowd at a campaign event in Ankeny, Iowa, on Jan. 11, 2024. (Fox News/Paul Steinhauser)

Haley, who launched her White House campaign 11 months ago, grabbed momentum during the autumn thanks to well-regarded debate performances. And in recent weeks, she caught up with DeSantis for second place in polls in Iowa and in national surveys.

DeSantis has staked much of his campaign on a strong finish in Iowa. And there's rampant speculation about what he'll do if he finishes behind Haley in the caucuses.

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Haley also surpassed DeSantis and surged to second place and narrowed the gap with Trump in New Hampshire.

Campaign signs for Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley are placed on a snowbank in Waukee, Iowa, on Jan. 9, 2024. (Fox News/Deirdre Heavey)

Iowa, which is used to brutal winter weather, is getting hit especially hard right this week. Heavy snow and high winds were slamming the state on Friday, and temperatures below zero degrees Fahrenheit were forecast for the weekend and into Monday and Tuesday.

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There are concerns by the campaigns that the frigid weather could depress turnout on caucus night.

Haley told Fox News "it's about, are going to get people out with negative 15-degree temperatures. … I really think that we're going to have them, you know, brave that cold."

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