On Saturday, former President Donald Trump issued a denial after a report claimed he was once again considering making his former U.N. ambassador, Nikki Haley, his vice presidential running mate.
Multiple sources told Axios of the alleged new development, which came after the recent collapse of South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, who was considered to be one of Trump’s top potential running mates.
A couple hours after the report was published, Trump posted on social media: “Nikki Haley is not under consideration for the V.P. slot, but I wish her well! DJT.”
Noem had recently just debuted a new book, “No Going Back,” in which she revealed that she shot and killed her puppy. The book was filled with inaccurate stories that had to be removed and Noem faced tough questions during interviews and she later canceled the remainder of her book tour reportedly due to bad weather.
The Axios report said that while the relationship between the two “remains chilly,” Trump could lean toward picking Haley “if he were convinced she’d help him win the presidency, avoid a potential prison sentence and cover tens of millions in legal bills if he loses.”
Parties in both camps believe that it is in the best interests of both sides to reconcile, even though Haley has not followed through on her pledge to endorse the Republican Party presidential nominee. The report said that Haley has indicated that she believes Trump needs to reach out to her if he wants to unite the party.
The report noted that if Haley continues to withhold her endorsement of Trump, and if he were to lose in November, that she could easily be blamed for the loss by conservatives as her supporters largely remain adverse to Trump.
Trump could use Haley’s donor network to raise the funds that he needs to stay competitive with President Joe Biden’s fundraising advantage.
A spokesperson for the Trump campaign responded to the story: “Only President Trump will rule a contender for Vice President in or out, and anyone claiming to know who he will choose is lying.”