(NewsNation) — Donald Trump’s campaign is purchasing TV advertisements in New Hampshire targeting Nikki Haley in an effort to keep the state’s large bloc of unaffiliated voters from turning out in favor of the former South Carolina governor.
The ads unveiled Thursday focus on Haley’s call for a change in the retirement system to keep Social Security funded.
“Americans were promised a secure retirement. Nikki Haley’s plan ends that,” a narrator says in the ad, which is airing as Haley gains ground on the former president in New Hampshire.
The ads are airing on MSNBC and other networks that reach liberals, Semafor reported.
Chris LaCivita, a Trump adviser, told the news outlet the issue works in Trump’s favor with all kinds of voters.
“The vast majority of Americans want their Social Security and Medicare benefits preserved: not just Republicans, not just Democrats, but independents,” he said.
The ad seizes on comments Haley made last March on the campaign trail when she proposed raising the retirement age for young people to receive Social Security benefits. Haley did not specify the new retirement age but suggested it should align with life expectancy.
Haley said at the time that seniors and individuals near retirement age should not be affected by any change.
Trump has said on the campaign trail that he would not touch Social Security or Medicare, breaking with some Republicans in the race who have said changes are needed to the programs in order to keep them funded for years to come.
“Haley’s plan cuts Social Security benefits for 82% of Americans,” the ad’s narrator says. “Trump will never let that happen.”
When Trump was president, however, every one of his White House budget proposals included cuts to Social Security and Medicare programs.
“All of Donald Trump’s attack ads prove that he is terrified of Nikki Haley’s rise,” Haley communications director Nachama Soloveichik said in a statement to NewsNation affiliate The Hill. “This is a two-person race between Nikki’s conservative vision for a strong and proud America and Trump’s continued obsession with the chaos and drama of the past.”
The New Hampshire primary is Jan. 23.
The Hill contributed to this report.
