Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley faced criticism from her chief competitor, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and Iowa leaders after making comments about “correcting” the results of the Iowa caucuses. During a town hall event in Milford, Haley expressed confidence in getting the results right and mentioned that her home state of South Carolina would bring it home. Haley, who is polling well in New Hampshire and has the endorsement of GOP Gov. Chris Sununu, is currently trailing behind front-runner Donald Trump in the Granite State. However, DeSantis seized on Haley's remarks, calling them disrespectful to Iowans and suggesting that she was making excuses for her own performance. Iowa Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds, who has endorsed DeSantis, also tweeted her trust in Iowans to make their own decisions without any “corrections” needed. Other DeSantis endorsers, such as evangelical leader Bob Vander Plaats and state Rep. Skyler Wheeler, criticized Haley's comments and emphasized the value of conservatism in Iowa. Haley has been trying to lower expectations in Iowa, stating that she just needs a good showing. However, Sununu set higher expectations, predicting that Haley would finish a strong second in Iowa before winning the New Hampshire primary. According to polling averages, Haley is currently in third place in Iowa, behind Trump and DeSantis. Sununu's predictions reflect the high expectations that Haley's backers have for her. Americans for Prosperity Action, a grassroots organization supporting Haley, previously stated that they expected her to place second or third in Iowa. Haley's rise in the polls, particularly in New Hampshire, has been met with skepticism from the Trump campaign, who accused her of trying to take advantage of the state's rules allowing unaffiliated voters to participate in primaries. Despite Haley's efforts to improve her showing in Iowa, she will have to compete with DeSantis' well-established ground game and Trump's strong support in the state. The former president's campaign is focused on turning out new caucus-goers to secure a decisive victory.