Nikki Haley, being chosen as Donald Trump’s running mate in some maneuver to form a unity ticket, did not receive a warm welcome from the GOP base. If anything, it might have led to more Republicans becoming more vocal against Haley’s 2024 bid. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) posted a brutal Twitter thread bashing the former South Carolina governor for being a warmonger and for not being a true conservative. It led to the ‘Never Nikki’ moniker.
Was Trump serious about this? Who knows, but he has insinuated that his running mate has already been chosen, and he will reveal it at the appropriate time. If you’ve watched The Apprentice, it’s the same formula here. With Haley still in the race, it’s doubtful she was a serious candidate. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), who Trump has described as a “killer” pick and one whose loyalty hasn’t been lost on the former president has been a name that pops up more frequently regarding this decision. Alas, in New Hampshire last night, it seems Trump was clear about one thing: he doesn’t want Trump-Haley 2024. He described his former ambassador to the United Nations as a politician who isn’t made of “presidential timber” (via ABC News):
Trump dismisses the idea he’d choose Nikki Haley for Vice President:
— Lalee Ibssa (@LaleeIbssa) January 20, 2024
“She is not presidential timber. Now when I say that, that probably means that she's not going to be chosen as the vice president,” Trump said.
Trump says Nikki Haley is "not presidential timber":
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) January 20, 2024
"That probably means that she's not gonna be chosen as the vice president." pic.twitter.com/FUZj4kwHBC
It’s starting to sound like Trump doesn’t want Nikki Haley to be VP… pic.twitter.com/xU7pl74x1D
— Philip Melanchthon Wegmann (@PhilipWegmann) January 20, 2024
Former President Donald Trump says he's not picking Nikki Haley for vice president.
"She is not presidential timber," Trump said at his campaign event in Concord, New Hampshire, on Friday. "Now when I say that, that probably means that she's not going to be chosen as the vice president."
Trump's comments come as he has increased his attacks on his former ambassador to the United Nations as she attempts to cut into his lead in New Hampshire ahead of Tuesday's primary.
"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," Trump said, spending much of his speech on Friday disparaging her. "She's not going to be able to deal with President Xi. She's not going to be able to deal with Putin."
Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) endorsed the former president yesterday. Haley could gain some positive press in New Hampshire, as she’s bound to perform better than her third-place finish in Iowa. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis barely breaks double-digits in the latest string of polls, but she’d have to pull off an upset win to shake up the current narrative that this is Trump’s primary to lose.
The former president clinches over 51 percent of the vote in Iowa, blowing out Ron DeSantis, who finished second with 21 percent. A thirty-point margin of victory is a landslide and a historic one: Trump beat Bob Dole’s near-12-point thrashing of Pat Robertson in 1988. That was the largest margin of victory for a Republican in this contest until last week.
Haley isn’t dropping out after New Hampshire but has no path to the nomination. We’re back to the same game the anti-Trump wing played in 2016, where ‘state x’ is the last stand against Trump. This team failed to stop him then, and they’re failing even worse now. In 2016, the field was stacked with reported heavyweights, and Trump, like the Grim Reaper, slayed them all. All Trump has to do is defeat Haley and DeSantis, and it looks like he’s close to accomplishing that feat. If Trump wins next Tuesday, he’ll probably go on to win South Carolina, and that’s the end of this primary that never really got off the ground for those running against the former president.
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