Former President Donald Trump said this week that former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) was unlikely to be his 2024 running mate. The news came after months of speculation over whether or not the former president would choose his former United Nations ambassador to run with him.
Trump made the comment during a campaign event in New Hampshire Friday. He said that the former governor was “not presidential timber. “Now when I say that, that probably means that she’s not going to be chosen as the vice president.”
He added that she was “not tough enough” to run alongside him for vice president.
Trump said that he knew Haley “very well,” adding that she was “not smart enough” and was not “respected enough. She cannot do this job.”
“She’s not going to be able to deal with President Xi. She’s not going to be able to deal with Putin,” he said.
Trump dispels rumors of a Nikki Haley VP pick at rally— saying she is "not Presidential timber":
"That probably means that she's not gonna be chosen as the Vice President."
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) January 20, 2024
For her part, Haley rejected the possibility of running on the same ticket with Trump.
“I’ve said from the very beginning: I don’t play for second. I don’t want to be anybody’s vice president. That is off the table,” Haley said.
Haley’s comments in New Hampshire followed a similar comment to normal media, saying that she did not “want to be vice president. Period.”
The former governor had made another similar comment in December, adding that she would share her own shortlist for vice president “when I have it.”
Speculation that Haley could be Trump’s vice presidential pick was largely met with negative reactions from many within the former president’s base. Haley was described as too hawkish for their tastes.
While Trump has not publicly stated who he sought as a running mate, it appears that former Vice President Mike Pence would be an unlikely choice.
Other speculation regarding the position has centered around former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R), Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) and former Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake.
