
Former President Donald Trump said at a Friday rally in Concord, New Hampshire, that he would probably not choose former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) for vice president.
The former president does not consider Haley “presidential timber’ in his latest remarks, despite once appointing her as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations during his term as president. “She is OK, but she is not presidential timber. And when I say that, that probably means she is not going to be chosen as the vice president,” Trump said.
🚨UPDATE: Soon-to-be President Donald Trump makes it clear that there is no way in this world Nikki Haley will be his VP.
“Nikki Haley is not presidential timber, that probably means that she's not gonna be chosen as the vice president,”
Hopefully, this can put to rest the… pic.twitter.com/3PVAfSe5FO
— 🇺🇸 Larry 🇺🇸 (@LarryDJonesJr) January 20, 2024
Trump said he is not confident in the ability of the former ambassador to manage tough negotiations with strategic rival countries, “I know her very well. She’s not tough enough. She’s not smart enough. And she wasn’t 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.”
The Republican frontrunner said he meant it, “When you say certain things, it sort of takes them out of play, right? I can’t say, ‘She’s not of the timber to be the vice president’ and then say, ‘Ladies and gentleman, I’m proud to announce that I’ve picked.’”
🔴BREAKING: Donald Trump says Nikki Haley will NOT be his choice for Vice President.
Do you support this? pic.twitter.com/TpTTgZf78Y
— Mary Frost (@Mary_frostt) January 20, 2024
Haley said on Friday that being Trump’s vice president is “off the table,” her most clear-voiced objection to the idea that she could be Trump’s running mate against President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris if he wins the nomination.
A voter at a campaign stop in a diner in New Hampshire asked Haley if she would promise not to be Donald Trump’s running mate.
The former Trump White House appointee to the U.N. said, “I have said from the very beginning I don’t play for second, I don’t want to be anybody’s vice president,” in a recording obtained by the Washington Post. “That is off the table. I have always said that. That is a game they play that I’m not going to play. I don’t want to be vice president.”
When questioned about her ability to attract MAGA voters, Haley said, “Do you want a Republican that can win more than just this small group? Do you want a Republican that can actually win the presidency by bringing more people into our party?”