CNN senior political analyst Ron Brownstein on Monday found himself impressed by former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley clawing her way to a potential second-place finish in the 2024 Iowa caucuses.
However, Brownstein nonetheless said that Haley has not yet shown she has what it takes to overtake former President Donald Trump.
"She... has been extraordinary cautious about making an argument," said Brownstein, who then recited Haley's stump speech that "the hard truths that Republicans have to face is Donald Trump was the right president for the time, I agree with most of his policy, but chaos follows him rightly or wrongly."
Brownstein found this line of attack decidedly unpersuasive.
READ MORE: Few Trumpers who embrace political violence understand its endgame
"If those are the hard truths, what does ducking the truth sound like?" he quipped.
Brownstein acknowledged that Haley needed to push Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis out of the race before truly focusing on Trump, but he still wasn't convinced that she had what it takes to overtake Trump.
"She needs a stronger argument to reach beyond her base of the voters who start with an inclination not to vote for Trump," he said. "And she needs to find a way to engage with him, I think, in a way that allows her to appeal to... the 'Maybe-Trump' voters that are sympathetic to him but open to an alternative."
Watch the video below or at this link.
analyst whacks Nikki Haley for kid-gloves attacks on Trump www.youtube.com
