Nikki Haley overtakes DeSantis as only viable non-Trump GOP candidate

President Donald Trump is still the frontrunner by a country mile, in the race for the GOP primary nomination.

At one point, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) was thought to be a formidable opponent and the only other Republican who would have a shot at competing with Trump.

That has since changed in a drastic way as the Republican governor has watched his polling numbers plummet in recent months.

The new number two seems to be former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R), who is the only other GOP candidate in the race who has experienced any kind of upward momentum in the race, but many believe her chances at beating Trump to the nomination are still quite slim.

According to the Washington Examiner, Haley might be the only one trending upward, but it's still not enough to overtake the former president who, despite numerous legal challenges, remains at the top of the heap by double digits in most polls.

The Examiner noted:

Trump repeatedly leads his rivals in fundraising and polling, often by more than 40 percentage points. A RealClearPolitics polling average shows Trump with 59.4% support, DeSantis at 14%, and Haley at 10.6%. However, in two of the early nominating states, support for Haley has put her firmly in second place nearly nine months after she launched her presidential campaign.

Several recent polls, as noted by the Examiner, have shown Haley either on the rise and DeSantis dropping, or Haley beating DeSantis outright.

Republican strategist Brian Seitchik explained what he believes is happening at the moment with Haley and the non-Trump voting bloc.

"It's clear that the non-Trump vote is beginning to coalesce around Nikki Haley. As Haley's numbers head north, DeSantis's numbers are either headed south or have flatlined," Seitchik said.

He added, "But the fact is, Nikki Haley has two shots to make this race: Iowa and New Hampshire."

Seitchik also noted that Trump probably has a lock on the nomination, but it could be interrupted if Haley continues to build momentum and especially in the aforementioned two states, which would make Trump's nomination a bit less smooth.

"No one really knows if there's enough time yet for Haley to catch Trump at this point. Most folks would probably bet against that happening," Seitchik said.

He added, "But at this time, she's the only one even in the hunt to have a realistic shot at beating Trump in one of the first two contests."

One thing seems certain in that if Trump wins the nomination, Haley will likely not be his pick for vice president, as the two have exchanged serious insults in recent weeks.