After spending months lashing out at his closest Republican rival in the 2024 race, Donald Trump is now said to be considering her as his second in command if he retakes the White House.
Multiple insiders told Politico and CBS News that the former president has been asking allies what they think about him picking Nikki Haley as vice president if he secures the GOP nomination.
“What do you think of Nikki?” Mr Trump has reportedly asked.
The suggestion, however, has been widely panned by his inner circle, with the sources saying that Mr Trump’s allies and advisors are trying to warn him off the idea – arguing that Ms Haley does not fit with his Maga base.
Many have also publicly slammed Ms Haley in an apparent bid to further dissuade the former president from seriously considering her.
Mr Trump’s eldest son Don Jr recently said in a Newsmax interview that he will “go to great lengths to make sure” a Trump-Haley ticket doesn’t emerge.
Meanwhile, former Fox News host Tucker Carlson said this week on his podcast that he plans to “advocate against” the union “as strongly as I could”.
Mr Trump has also thrown other names into the ring including South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, Arizona Republican and staunch Maga loyalist Kari Lake, former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson, Senator Tim Scott, Senator J.D. Vance, Representative Byron Donalds and Representative Elise Stefanik, according to Politico.
Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley speaks during a town hall in Iowa on 18 December— (AP)
But Mr Trump’s consideration of Ms Haley as his vice president is surprising given he has repeatedly attacked her of late – and taken to calling her the offensive, childish nickname “bird brain”.
His fury at Ms Haley – the former South Carolina governor and former US ambassador to the United Nations – comes as she has emerged as his biggest Republican rival in the 2024 race.
While Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was initially seen as his main contender, it is Ms Haley who is closing in on Mr Trump in the polls – something that could actually make her the natural choice as his second in command.
A new poll, released by the American Research Group on Thursday, revealed that the former governor is now within four percentage points of Mr Trump in the New Hampshire Republican presidential primary.
In total, 29 per cent of respondents said that Ms Haley was their preferred candidate to 33 per cent for Mr Trump.
Another poll this week – the Emerson College’s statewide poll of Iowa – also revealed that she had surged into second place.
Mr Trump was less than pleased about the New Hampshire poll, lashing out and calling it a “scam” on Truth Social on Friday.
“FAKE NEW HAMPSHIRE POLL WAS RELEASED ON BIRDBRAIN. JUST ANOTHER SCAM!” he ranted.
As Ms Haley narrows the gap with the frontrunner, she has begun pushing back on Mr Trump’s ongoing attacks.
Speaking to supporters at a rally in Iowa this week, Ms Haley claimed that Mr Trump was merely “getting nervous” about her rising support.
“Donald Trump is now attacking me. That’s the sound of us surging,” she said.
