'He took the bait': GOP insider says Nikki Haley tricked Trump into 'a strategic mistake'

Trump appears to be a sore winner.

After defeating his lone rival, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, for the New Hampshire GOP primary vote to get closer to the White House — former President Donald Trump left "winning with grace" in Iowa.

Before a filled hotel ballroom in Nashua on Tuesday after the vote tally was officially pointing to his win, Trump gave Haley a warning saying, "She’s not going to win. But if she did, she would be under investigation by those people in 15 minutes, and I could tell you five reasons why already."

“Not big reasons, little stuff that she doesn’t want to talk about, that she will be under investigation within minutes, and so would Ron [DeSantis] have been, but he decided to get out.”

ALSO READ: Trump suggests he will 'suspend my campaign' to seemingly dupe supporters out of cash

His words came after Haley congratulated him in a speech and also challenged him to a debate.

Whatever the case, CNN political commentator Scott Jennings believes the MAGA leader bungled an opportunity.

"He made a mistake last night," Jennings said. "He could have walked out there and just said 'This race is over. I appreciate all my opponents. I appreciate Ambassador Haley. All Republicans are welcome to join. Let's go beat Joe Biden'... He couldn't do it."

It may have been that Trump thought that he won the nomination and was irked that he had to move the stump to South Carolina. And he also could have been displeased that he had to follow behind Haley in the speech order.

"The Haley people went out and spoke early to bait him for this reaction and he took the bait," said Jennings. "Now we will fight it out. He will fight it out for another month."

Jennings really saw the brimstone tone of the president's as a major setback.

"It was a strategic mistake," he added.

Watch the video below or click the link.