'Sellout to lobbyist parasites': Trump unleashes on Nikki Haley and gives her a new nickname

Former President Donald Trump is now taking off the gloves in his latest missive against top rival Nikki Haley as the Iowa Republican Caucuses approach.

In a lengthy statement from Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung, the 45th president of the United States referred to his former UN ambassador as a "sellout to lobbyist parasites" with a "total disdain for the working-class." Trump even gave her one of his patented nicknames: "Nikki New Taxes."

"She pushed for a WHOPPING 60% increase in the state gas tax in South Carolina after promising voters she would never do so," the statement read. "She also voted for an unconscionable 20% increase in the state sales tax, making her the enemy of the working-class and an ally of lobbyist cronies taking advantage of impressionable politicians looking for their approval."

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"Nikki Haley's shameful record as governor has now been exposed, and voters are witnessing who she really is: A tax wielding politician who is more interested in doing the bidding of her puppetmasters instead of doing what's right for the American people," the statement continued.

Trump's attack on Haley also included a populist entreaty, knocking the former South Carolina governor for her past statements suggesting she would cut Medicare and Social Security. According to CNN, Haley has called for raising the eligibility age for which younger workers can start receiving benefits, and has also called for the expansion of Medicare Advantage plans — which are run by private insurers — to compete with government plans.

"How much longer do you want to force people to slave away just so they can earn what they have been promised, Nikki?" Cheung stated.

Haley, for her part, has been relatively soft on the former president, recently telling a crowd in New Hampshire that if elected president, she would pardon Trump if he's found guilty in any of his upcoming federal trials (a presidential pardon doesn't apply to state-level convictions). Haley is within striking distance of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for second place in the latest primary polls, while Trump maintains a healthy lead over the rest of the field.

READ MORE: Nikki Haley: I would pardon Trump if he is found guilty