'Visceral hatred': Tensions between Nikki Haley and Tim Scott campaigns are heating up

Like most of the 2024 GOP presidential hopefuls, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and Sen. Tim Scott have offered only mild and tepid criticism of Republican frontrunner Donald Trump. Haley and Scott, however, are both trying to convince GOP primary voters that if they were nominated, they would be more electable than Trump.

The Daily Beast's Jake Lahut, in an article published on September 18, examines tensions between the Haley and Scott campaigns.

"For months," Lahut explains, "GOP campaign operatives have been wondering when the two South Carolinians were going to begin attacking each other. Both are fighting over a small and similar piece of the voter pie left over from Trump's majority, and the South Carolina primary is a key part of both of their plans. So, it always seemed inevitable that they would have to square off at some point."

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The reporter adds, "While sources close to both campaigns say any open fighting between the candidates likely won't happen until after Iowa — should they both make it that far, with President Donald Trump's polling lead growing increasingly insurmountable — the Scott campaign has been keeping score."

A source described by Lahut as someone "close to" Scott's campaign told the Beast, "Ever since we started sniffing around on the campaign, we've felt visceral hatred from the Nikki Haley camp…. It's no secret that along with that visceral hatred, her team has been really vigorously pushing oppo research against us."

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The Daily Beast's full report is available at this link (subscription required).