Former President Donald Trump dismissed reports that he was considering former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley as his running mate in the 2024 presidential election. According to Trump, Haley is not under consideration for the vice president slot. This comes after a report from Axios claimed that Haley was being considered for the role of Trump’s vice presidential nominee. Haley had launched her own presidential campaign in 2023 but suspended it in March after Trump won 14 out of 15 GOP nominating contests on Super Tuesday.
Despite dropping out of the presidential race, Nikki Haley continues to garner votes in Republican primaries. In the Indiana GOP presidential primary, she won nearly 22% of the vote, even though she is no longer in the running for the nomination. During her White House bid, Haley focused on advocating for a strong U.S. foreign policy to address global conflicts, which contrasted with Trump’s America First agenda. She engaged in debates with rival Vivek Ramaswamy over America’s role in international affairs.
Haley has not endorsed Trump and has stated that it is up to him to earn the votes of those who did not support him during her campaign. She has not had any recent communication with Trump since exiting the race. Despite rumors that Haley’s name was being floated as a potential running mate in order to boost attendance at a PAC fundraiser, her camp has confirmed that she will be meeting with donors in Charleston, South Carolina to thank them for their support. However, there is no indication that Haley will encourage donors to contribute to Trump’s general election campaign or endorse him as the presumptive GOP presidential nominee.
In response to the report about Haley’s potential consideration as Trump’s running mate, Donald Trump Jr., the former president’s son, expressed relief and skepticism on social media. He suggested that Haley’s camp was using the rumors to draw attention to a PAC fundraiser. Haley, meanwhile, has expressed the importance of Trump earning the support of voters who did not back him during her campaign. As the 2024 presidential campaign continues to unfold, both Haley and Trump remain figures of interest within the Republican Party.
