Nikki Haley's town hall pitch: Experience and younger than Donald Trump and Joe Biden

WASHINGTON - Nikki Haley made a prime-time pitch Sunday for her presidential campaign by stressing she has both domestic and foreign policy experience - and is much younger than Donald Trump and Joe Biden to boot.

"It is time for a new generational leader," the 51-year-old former South Carolina governor and United Nations ambassador said during a CNN town hall in Des Moines, Iowa. "It is time for us to leave the baggage of the past."

While Haley trails Trump and Ron DeSantis in current Republican polls, she rarely referred to either by name during the confab with Iowa voters.

Instead, she promoted a litany of Republican issues - cut federal spending, reduce inflation, close the southern border, oppose gun control - while echoing several themes she hopes to use to climb the primary ladder.

Haley said she would support whoever Republicans nominate for president, though she expects it to be herself. "I don't play for second." she said.

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Among Haley's goals:

Cast Trump as a figure of the past

Haley drew distinctions with the former president only when asked, and then sought to portray him as part of the baggage the nation should leave behind.

When CNN moderator Jake Tapper brought up the pro-Trump insurrection of Jan. 6, 2021, Haley said: "He thinks it was a beautiful day; I think it was a terrible day. I'll always stand by that."

Haley appeared to dispute Trump's claim that the 2020 election was stolen - "we know that President Biden is the president," she said - but added the conduct of elections in some states remains a big issue.

"Voters want to have election integrity," Haley said. "That's the biggest thing."

Democrats were unimpressed with any Haley effort to separate herself from Trump. In a statement, the Democratic National Committee said "her extreme, anti-freedom candidacy is just as MAGA as the rest of the 2024 GOP field.”

Foreign policy experience

Citing her experience at the United Nations during the Trump administration, Haley came out strongly for support of Ukraine in its war with Russia. That is a contrast to Trump and his call for negotiations between the two combatants that could lead to concessions to Russia.

"That's a mistake that too many have made," Haley said.

She also bashed for Trump for congratulating dictator Kim Jong Un for North Korea's new position with the World Health Organization.

While not repeating Trump's name, Haley said Un is a "thug" and that there is "no reason" to congratulate him for anything.

Bash Biden

Rather than a full-force attack on her Republican opponents, Haley preferred to focus on Democratic President Joe Biden.

During the town hall in Iowa - which will host the first delegate selection contest of the 2024 Republican race - Haley hit Biden on issues like the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan, addressing Chinese threats to Taiwan, and the growth of federal spending in the wake of COVID.

Avoiding Abortion

Haley has said she would sign a national abortion ban, but sought to avoid discussing it during the CNN town hall, claiming it is very unlikely Congress would pass such restrictions.

Abortion opponents would need to have support from at least 60 U.S. senators in order to avoid a filibuster, and that is a longshot, Haley said. So opponents need to focus on what can be accomplished, such as a late-term abortion and policies that encourage adoption.

"I want to save as many babies as we can," Haley said.

Some Republicans fear that moderate voters in a general election will back Democrats over their support for abortion rights.

Gubernatorial experience

Haley stressed her years as South Carolina governor, saying it gave her experience in developing the economy and working with members of both parties.

In the town hall, she discussed her decision to take down the Confederate battle flag from the statehouse after the murders of nine people at Black church in Charleston.

Haley cast the flag removal as an example of how she can forge unity, explaining how she had to work on fellow conservative Republicans to accomplish the task. "We had an obligation to make sure that we got it right," she said. 

Get past DeSantis

Before she can truly challenge Trump, Haley has to first get past DeSantis, who is in second place in most polls.

So she hit DeSantis - and Trump - for declining to address entitlement spending like Social Security and Medicare, saying those massive programs have to be reformed before federal spending and the national debt can be brought under control.

Haley also criticized the Florida governor for his state's lawsuit with Disney, saying he should resolve his issues with such a large employer.

Time for a woman?

Haley also found time to mention that she would be the first woman, and first woman of color, to be president, though she downplayed that factor - sort of.

After saying "it'll be nice to have that out of the way," Haley then noted that all of the nation's presidents have been males.

"We've let guys do it for a while," she said. "It might be time for a woman to get it done."