Former President Trump claimed Friday that Vice President Harris would do a better job leading the White House than President Biden.
Pressed by conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt on whether a vote for Biden would be equal to one for Harris, Trump said “I think so.” Though, he added, he’s not sure Biden would even get “to the starting gate.”
“It seems like he’s locked into her for a lot of reasons. He has to choose her. I understand. It would seem like the Democrats, if he doesn’t run, have to run her,” the former president said on “The Hugh Hewitt Show.” “That’s what all of the professionals like you are saying. I’m not sure that that’s correct, but that’s what they’re saying.”
“I think she’d be better than him, actually. I actually think that,” he added in the interview, highlighted by Mediaite.
Trump remains the clear GOP front-runner ahead of next month’s Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary, which will officially set the primary season into motion. Biden, the incumbent, continues to lead his party as well — setting up a likely rematch between the two.
The former president has thus far skipped out on four Republican primary debates, citing his wide lead in the polls. However, in the same interview with Hewitt, he said he would be willing to debate a GOP rival if the race became “very close” after the Jan. 23 New Hampshire primary.
Trump also signaled that he would participate in general election debates, though he criticized the Commission on Presidential Debates, which organizes the forums.
“They’re totally corrupt. They’re totally Democrat-leaning — that’s being nice when I use the word leaning. They are totally corrupt, and they’re terrible,” he said. “With that being said, I would do 20 debates, even if it was organized by them.”
“I’ll do as many debates as they want. I’d do a debate every night with this guy,” he added, referring to Biden. “But he’ll never show up to a debate.”
While the race is “not close,” at the moment, as Trump pointed out to Hewitt, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley appears to be gaining momentum on him in New Hampshire.
She’s doubled her support since September, according to recent polling from Saint Anselm College Survey Center, trailing the former president by only 14 points.
Another survey, published Thursday by the American Research Group, shows Haley falling only 4 points behind Trump in the early primary state.
Trump told Hewitt he was unbothered by the survey results. He then took to his social media platform, Truth Social, to argue that the poll was “fake.”
“Fake New Hampshire poll was released on Birdbrain,” Trump said of Haley, using the nickname he coined in September. “Just another scam!”