In Iowa, Nikki Haley looks beyond her rivals’ attacks

In her first campaign stop since Wednesday’s controversial Republican debate, former United Nations ambassador and former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley largely ignored the many attacks that her fellow candidates, aware of her rise in the polls, had lobbied her way. What she did discuss suggested that she continued to feel that the criticism was, as she said Wednesday night, “not worth my time.”

Speaking Friday to about 100 people in a conference room at a convention center in Sioux City, Iowa, Ms. Haley stuck to the issues that have become cornerstones of her campaign — her foreign policy experience and her willingness to confront “hard truths ‘ to tell. She railed against China, promised to be a budget-responsible president and even answered a question about fears that Venezuela could invade its South American neighbor Guyana.

Despite her growing rivalry with Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida to become the leading alternative to former President Donald J. Trump for the Republican presidential nomination, Ms. Haley did not mention Mr. DeSantis by name or mention the debate — where she stood a in the line of fire for much of the evening – until the last minutes of the event.

In response to a voter’s question about her position in the race, Ms. Haley said she did not think she needed to win the Iowa caucus to be successful.

“The momentum is on our side,” she said. “The way I look at it, we just have to have a good showing in Iowa. I don’t think it necessarily means we have to win, but I do think we have to have a good performance.”

Ms. Haley also appeared to indicate that she would not accept an offer to become Trump’s running mate if he won the nomination and asked her. “I’ve never played for second place,” she said.

Ms. Haley’s campaign has gained prominence in recent weeks. Many national polls now place her in a heated race for second place, along with Mr. DeSantis, and in Iowa she is running at a similar level, at about 17.5 percent. (Mr. Trump is well ahead of both of them, with more than 45 percent.)

Late last month, Americans for Prosperity Action, the conservative political network founded by billionaire brothers David and Charles Koch, endorsed Ms. Haley, giving her campaign access to the network’s financial power and a pool of staffers who could knock on doors and make phone calls .

At the Republican debate in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on Wednesday, Ms. Haley’s rising fame made her the target of frequent attacks from Mr. DeSantis and the entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. Mr. Ramaswamy in particular attacked her, calling her a “fascist,” claiming she was in the pocket of corporate interests and at one point holding up a notebook on which he had written, “Nikki = Corrupt.”

“I love all the attention, guys,” Ms. Haley joked at one point, even as she seemed, at least at times, to fade into the background of the debate. Some analysts suggested afterwards that Mrs. Haley had not defended herself strongly enough.

Unlike Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey, who echoed his debate singers during his campaign stops in New Hampshire on Thursday, Ms. Haley appeared to have moved on. She said the debates had served to winnow the field, and she predicted that another candidate — apparently Mr. DeSantis, though she did not name him — would drop out of the race after the Iowa caucuses.

“We have three key people going to Iowa, and I think one will drop after Iowa,” Ms. Haley said. “And then I think you’re going to do a play with me and Trump in New Hampshire, and then we’re going to go to my home state in South Carolina, and then we’re going to take it.”

Many attendees in Sioux City seemed to agree with Ms. Haley’s decision to largely ignore her opponents’ attacks, saying they admired her debate performance on Wednesday.

“She did so well in the debate,” said Adrienne Dunn, a 48-year-old Sioux City resident who is considering voting for Ms. Haley but has not yet made a final decision. “She was prepared. She had good answers.”