California Gov. Gavin Newsom says Haley is a strong surrogate for Democrats

“I think she’s one of our better surrogates,” the Democratic governor said of Haley, when asked by CNN’s Jake Tapper on “The Lead” whether it would be easier for President Joe Biden, the likely Democratic nominee, to beat Haley or Trump in the general election.

Newsom also said Haley — who has heavily criticized the former president on the campaign trail — is “spot-on on 99%” of the things she has said about Trump, adding that she’s making a good case against the GOP front-runner.

“So I hope she stays in, hope she does well tomorrow,” Newsom said, referring to Saturday’s first-in-the-South Republican primary in South Carolina. But he acknowledged that Trump is likely to end up as the nominee.

Haley has vowed to stay in the race past the South Carolina primary and through Super Tuesday on March 5, but Trump has won every delegate contest so far and holds a wide lead over Haley in pre-primary polling in her own home state.

Haley, at a campaign stop in Moncks Corner, South Carolina, on Friday made the case that she is the better alternative to Trump.

“Don’t complain about what happens in a general election if you don’t vote in this primary. It matters,” Haley said.

A CNN poll released earlier this month showed Haley with a clear lead over Biden among voters nationwide in a hypothetical general election scenario: 52% supported Haley compared with 39% for Biden. The same poll found Trump only narrowly ahead of the president, 49% to 45%.

“If we can’t win a general election, we get nothing,” Haley said Friday.

CNN’s Ebony Davis contributed to this report.

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