The last stop on the campaign trail

Republican presidential hopeful Nikki Haley spoke to a full house of more than 100 people at the Veterans of Foreign Wars hall in Franklin on Monday morning, a day before the first-in-the-nation primary in the Granite State. Haley spoke on reforming the U.S. education system and about how reading proficiency levels in schools have been steadily in decline. She also critiqued Congress on their spending habits, as well as her competitor former President Donald Trump, saying he put the country in roughly $8 trillion in debt, a fact confirmed by the nonprofit Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. Other topics included veteran health care reform, stricter border security and voters’ disapproval of both Trump and President Joe Biden. Haley was transparent with voters, saying, “I voted for Donald Trump twice. I was proud to serve America and his administration. But rightly or wrongly, chaos follows him. And we can't have a country in disarray and a world on fire and go through four more years of chaos.” Gov. Chris Sununu, who endorsed Haley last month, also spoke on her behalf. “This is New Hampshire. We always look to the future, we always look to the next opportunity the next big idea," he said. “Nikki Haley brings that experience. She brings her experience as a governor, and I love governors, you know.” But Haley especially emphasized the importance of staying in the race to provide an alternative to Trump and Biden. She has high hopes for New Hampshire to send the message that more than a two-candidate race. “America doesn't do coronations. We believe in choices. We believe in democracy, and we believe in freedom,” Haley said. “I have said I love the Live Free or Die state. But you know what, I want to make it a Live Free or Die country, And we're not going to stop until we do. Let's get everybody out to vote.”