Campaign Almanac: Haley criticizes Biden's age in new ad

A new ad from former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley puts the age of Democratic President Joe Biden and other national leaders front and center in her pitch to become the GOP nominee for president.

Haley, 51, reaffirms in the ad her support for term limits in Congress and mental competency tests for politicians over the age of 75.

"I'll just say it, Biden's too old," Haley says in the ad. "And Congress is the most exclusive nursing home in America."

Haley has frequently criticized the 81-year-old Biden's age and his perceived mental competency, arguing for a younger cohort of conservative leaders to lead the country.

Former President Donald Trump, who leads the race for the Republican presidential nomination, is 77.

"Nikki Haley is the only candidate offering a new way and a break from the drama of the past," Haley spokesperson Olivia Perez-Cubas said in a statement. "That’s why Nikki has been pushing for term limits, mental competency tests for politicians, and a new generation of conservative leadership.”

Haley super PAC targets DeSantis

SFA Fund Inc., the super PAC backing former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley for president, released an ad this week attacking rival GOP candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The ad calls DeSantis' campaign "just another disaster" and points to a Wall Street Journal poll that shows a tie between himself and Democratic President Joe Biden in a potential matchup. That same poll showed Haley beating Biden 51-34.

The ad, which will run in Iowa, also shows side-by-side clips of former President Donald Trump and DeSantis making hand gestures while speaking and says DeSantis is trying to "out-Trump Trump."

Haley trailed DeSantis by 3 percentage points in the latest Des Moines Register/NBC News/Mediacom Iowa Poll. Haley received 16 percent support while DeSantis received 19 percent. Trump, who has a commanding lead in polling, received 51 percent.

Iowa mayor endorses Haley

Nevada, Iowa, Mayor and Story County Republican Party Chair Brett Barker endorsed former U.N. ambassador and South Carolina governor Nikki Haley for president, the Republican candidate’s campaign announced.

“I look around the country and I see leaders spinning us over a cliff. I see a world on fire and I see leadership in D.C. that’s both incompetent and unserious. Meanwhile, many of our own Republican candidates are more worried about unserious online banter than actually talking about policies that will get our country back on track,” Barker said, according to a news release from the Haley campaign. “We watched her take on the establishment in South Carolina, despite risk to her own career. We watched her stare down tyrants at the United Nations. And more recently, we watched her debate important issues on the national stage with both poise and grace.”

Ryan Binkley ad calls out fellow candidates

Texas pastor, chief executive officer and long-shot GOP presidential candidate Ryan Binkley released a new ad targeting what he calls the "chaos" of the rest of the Republican presidential field.

The ad begins with clips of candidates arguing from previous GOP presidential debates.

"Is this chaos the best that we can do?" Binkley asks in the ad. "If you want something different, you have to vote for someone different."

The ad will run on TV in Iowa and on digital platforms nationally, the campaign said.

Binkley, who is running on a platform of a "spiritual, economic and cultural revival," has failed to receive major support in his largely self-funded campaign.

Binkley received 0 percent support in the last two Des Moines Register/NBC News/Mediacom Iowa Polls.

Gazette-Lee Des Moines Bureau