Trump campaign hits Haley on Social Security in new ad

The Trump campaign unveiled an ad Thursday targeting former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley over her calls for a change in the retirement age in order to keep Social Security funded.

“Americans were promised a secure retirement. Nikki Haley’s plan ends that,” a narrator says in the ad, which is airing as Haley gains ground on former President Trump in New Hampshire.

The ad seizes on comments Haley made last March on the campaign trail, when she proposed raising the retirement age for young people to receive Social Security benefits. Haley did not specify what the new retirement age should be, but she suggested it should align with life expectancy.

“We say the rules have changed. We change the retirement age to reflect life expectancy,” Haley says in the ad.

Haley said at the time that seniors and individuals near retirement age should not be affected by any change.

Trump has said on the campaign trail that he would not touch Social Security or Medicare, breaking with some Republicans in the race who have said changes are needed to the programs in order to keep them funded for years to come.

When Trump was president, however, every one of his White House budget proposals included cuts to Social Security and Medicare programs.

“All of Donald Trump’s attack ads prove that he is terrified of Nikki Haley’s rise,” Haley communications director Nachama Soloveichik said in a statement. “This is a two-person race between Nikki’s conservative vision for a strong and proud America and Trump’s continued obsession with the chaos and drama of the past.”

Thursday’s ad was released as Haley emerges as Trump’s most formidable competitor in the primary race, with the Iowa caucuses set to take place Monday and the New Hampshire primary following on Jan. 23.

Polling from The Hill/Decision Desk HQ shows Haley has steadily climbed since the first GOP debate in August. She has narrowly pulled into second place in an average of national polls, and an average of Iowa polls shows Haley within 1 point of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) for second place, though Haley trails Trump by a wide margin in both states.

Perhaps Haley’s best chance to shake up the race is in New Hampshire, where polling shows her within 12 points of Trump’s lead and gaining ground in recent weeks.

Updated at 11:32 a.m. ET