NEWPORT — Toward the conclusion of her remarks at the Newport Recreation Center on Wednesday, GOP presidential hopeful Nikki Haley brought up former President Donald Trump, who polls indicate has a significant lead in New Hampshire as the January primary approaches.

Speaking before a crowd of more than 100, Haley, who served as United States Ambassador to the United Nations for a year under Trump, said the former president is not what the country needs now.

“Rightly or wrongly, chaos follows him,” Haley said. “We can’t have a country in disarray and a world on fire and four more years of chaos. You don’t defeat Democratic chaos with Republican chaos.”

Haley then noted national polls show Trump beating President Biden by just 4 points but those same polls give her a 17 point edge over Biden.

“We need to leave the negativity and drama of the past behind and look to a new generation of leaders,” Haley.

The former governor of South Carolina was introduced by New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, a Republican, who on Tuesday endorsed her candidacy. Haley spent about an hour touting her conservative credentials as governor who lowered unemployment, cut taxes on small business, passed tort reform and instituted a successful welfare to work program. If elected president, Haley promised a similar approach that favors lower taxes, less federal control and lower spending.

She placed much of the blame for inflation on Republicans who passed a $2.2 trillion COVID relief plan, reintroduced earmarks and added pet projects to a 2024 spending bill.

“We will cut spending, we will stop borrowing, we will eliminate earmarks and I will veto any spending bill that does not take us back to pre-COVID spending levels,” Haley said. “And I will make sure small business tax cuts (2017) are made permanent because small business is the heart of the economy.”

One audience member asked Haley about abortion, an issue that has seemingly propelled Democrats to a number of legislative victories since the Supreme Court ended the federal right to an abortion in June 2022 when it overturned the Roe v. Wade decision.

Haley began by saying she was “unapologetically” pro-life and does not want to be judged for that nor does she want those who are pro-choice judged. She agrees with the court decision in 2022 because it returned lawmaking on abortion to the states, which is where it was before Roe. As for a federal law, Haley said Congress has to work toward a consensus that sets rules for late-term abortions, encourages adoption, doesn’t force doctors who don’t believe in abortion to perform them and does not charge women criminally for having an abortion.

“We need to stop demonizing this issue and start humanizing it,” Haley said. “We need to support as many moms as we can and save as many babies as we can. We all agree on that. Democrats want to put fear into abortion; Republicans want to put judgment in abortion. There is no room for either. We need to focus on respect and that is what you will get from me on this issue.”

Haley was also asked about Medicare and Social Security, both of which are headed for insolvency in 10 years or less.

Haley said she will have the courage to do what Trump and Biden failed to do and recommend reforms to both programs so they remain viable. Promising to not change benefits for current recipients, Haley wants to raise the retirement age under Social Security for younger workers, cap benefits on the wealthy and base annual increases on inflation.

Haley also spent considerable time on foreign policy, stating that the current trouble in the world — from Ukraine and Israel to China’s threats against Taiwan — began with the message sent to our enemies by the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan that showed weakness. She told her audience she strongly supports more aid for Ukraine and fully backs Israel in its war that was started when Hamas killed an estimated 1,200 Israelis in a terrorist attack on Oct. 7.

“A win for Russia is a win for China,” Haley said, suggesting it would show U.S. weakness and an invasion of Taiwan could follow. “But if Ukraine wins, China knows they cannot invade Taiwan.”

Haley would support a buildup of the U.S. military, which she said is a deterrent to war.

“Strong militaries don’t start wars; strong militaries prevent wars,” Haley said.

Doug Kerr, of Grantham, told Haley he thinks she needs to be more aggressive in going after Trump, saying he attempted a coup against the U.S. government when his supporters stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, trying to stop Congress from certifying President Biden’s victory.

“He is a bad guy and needs to be brought down,” Kerr said to applause in the room. “He can’t be our next president.”

Haley said Trump supporters say she should love him more and his detractors say she does not dislike him enough, but she reiterated that while his presidency had successes, another term is not what the country needs.

Kerr said later he wants Haley to “take the gloves off against Trump.”

John Rogers and his wife, Sharon, of Newbury, N.H., took a similar view of Trump while waiting for Haley to arrive. Rogers took issue with an ad where he said Trump declared his support for veterans.

“I don’t think he cares about vets,” Rogers said, recalling that Trump said the late Sen. John McCain, who was held prisoner in Vietnam, was no hero because he was captured.

“We came here to see her (Haley),” Rogers said. “We want someone with a good brain and she seems to have that. Whatever happens, we don’t want Trump.”

Nearby, Chris Young of Newport, who is retired, said Haley “is a high profile candidate who could pull an upset.”

Haley said the country’s problems, both domestic and foreign, are a significant challenge but said if she is elected president, she will take the same approach she took when elected governor: “No more whining. No more complaining. Now let’s get to work.”

Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com