Haley hits DeSantis in ad ahead of debate: ‘The more Ron loses, the more he lies’

GOP Presidential candidate Nikki Haley (R) is going after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) ahead of Wednesday’s CNN debate in an ad titled “The more Ron loses, the more he lies.” 

In the ad, the Haley campaign hits DeSantis for “lying” about the former South Carolina governor and says the Florida governor has been “losing ground” and now trails the former U.N. ambassador.

“Have you noticed something different about Ron DeSantis lately?” the narrator asks in the ad. “Yeah, we noticed, too: Ron DeSantis is lying about Nikki Haley. I wonder why? Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley’s numbers are on the rise. Less than a year ago, DeSantis was leading Donald Trump and polls of Republican voters. But he has been losing ground for months now, trailing Nikki Haley. 

“You can no longer call this a two-person race between former President Trump and someone like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. And that is because of Nikki Haley.” 

Toward the end of the ad, Haley’s voiceover appears to call out for the rest of the presidential candidates, namely DeSantis and former President Trump, the current GOP front-runner. 

“If these fellas have to lie to win, they don’t deserve to win,” the ad says. 

The ad touts Haley’s momentum in recent months, driven in part by strong debate performances. In recent polls, she has closed the lead on Trump in New Hampshire, which holds its first-in-the-nation primary on Jan. 23. 

DeSantis, on the other hand, has made Iowa the focal point of his campaign. He has visited all 99 counties, but he has recently polled in the same range as the rival he will debate with Wednesday night. 

Both DeSantis and Haley will have an opportunity to make one more audition right before the Jan. 15 Iowa Caucuses kick off. 

CNN debate starts at 9 p.m. EST in Des Moines, Iowa, and will be hosted by CNN anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash at Drake University. Trump will participate in a Fox News town hall that will run at the same time as the CNN debate. 

Both campaigns did not respond to The Hill’s request for comment.