Steve Bannon Questions Donald Trump's Campaign Decision

Former White House adviser Steve Bannon believes the Donald Trump campaign should have been more forceful in claiming victory over Nikki Haley in Tuesday's New Hampshire primary.

"[Haley] had a crushing defeat last night but took the Clinton comeback kid approach...coming out early, saying she won, giving a speech and getting the hell out of there," Bannon told Newsweek via phone about President Bill Clinton and his big momentum swing after not winning the New Hampshire primary in 1992.

Trump defeated Haley, his lone presidential GOP challenger, by approximately 11 points (54.4 percent to 43.3 percent) to claim 12 delegates and add on to the 20 delegates he was awarded after receiving 51 percent in the Iowa Caucus—where Haley took third behind Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who has since dropped out of the presidential race.

Although Trump won the primary, Haley—the former South Carolina governor who served as United Nations ambassador in the Trump administration—was swift to not just congratulate Trump on his win but also to differentiate herself from the Republican front runner, who she continues to say will lead to a reelection victory for the Biden-Harris campaign due to his questionable level of national popularity.

"Who the hell was the imposter that went up on the stage before and claimed a victory?" Trump said during his victory speech, accusing her of "doing a speech like she won" the state.

Bannon, on his War Room podcast, wondered why Trump's campaign staff waited to get the president onstage and control airtime when the race was called almost instantly as polls closed in New Hampshire.

"It was over, it was done," Bannon said, referencing pollsters who called the race. "It doesn't matter if you've beaten [Haley] by 7 points, you're gonna beat her by 15—the final number is 11.

"Why did Trump's people have him wait? President Trump should have gone down to the microphone immediately and declared victory. Bigfoot her, bigfoot her right there and make her react to it. That wasn't a Nikki Haley victory; 75 percent of her people are operative Democrats, are people that are never gonna vote for a Republican candidate in the general [election], including Nikki Haley."

He told Newsweek that it was a "major mistake" by the Trump campaign. The GOP front runner should have immediately walked out when the race was initially called and thanked his supporters for the victory while pledging to win the rest of the states ahead, Bannon said.

Haley vows to forge on and says the "race is far from over" and that "dozens of states are left to go." Twenty-six and four delegates will be up for grabs during the Nevada and Virgin Island caucuses on February 8, respectively.

Likely the biggest state that could ultimately decide the entire GOP race will be Haley's home state of South Carolina, where voters will flock on February 24 with 50 delegates up for grabs.

Trump supporters and surrogates have a different take, however, with many saying that New Hampshire was Haley's best chance to show she has clout and can galvanize a strong voter base.

"Tonight was a BIG night for President Trump," Florida Representative Byron Donalds wrote Tuesday on X, formerly Twitter. "New Hampshire was Nikki Haley's best chance to win a state & she's already down nearly DOUBLE DIGITS. NV, SC & FL also will not go well for her. This thing is OVER & we ALL know it."

Conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, said Haley not conceding the race is helping Democratic President Joe Biden.

"There is no path for Nikki to be the nominee," Kirk wrote on X. "There is a path to slow down Trump and help Biden. That is what she is doing by remaining in this race."

Others echoed Bannon's comment regarding Democrats supporting Haley in New Hampshire to put a dent in Trump's numbers, including Donald Trump Jr. and former Trump adviser Stephen Miller.

"Nikki Haley's swamp money and dirty tricks (teaming up with the Democrats) were no match for the great MAGA patriots in New Hampshire. We love you New Hampshire," Trump Jr. wrote in an X post.

Bannon referred to Haley as "the Raytheon Nikki, DEFCON Barbie" and believes her donors will hang on long enough to see if any of Trump's legal issues will impact his potential nomination.

Or, they may think it could lead to a position in a hypothetical Trump White House as secretary of defense or as national security adviser, he added, where she can implement "neocon policies."

"She's definitely gonna continue on," he said. "She's the donor vessel to basically invade MAGA."