Trump disdains Haley and says she 'probably' won't be his running mate
Former President Donald J. Trump intensified his attacks on Nikki Haley on Friday, saying she was not of presidential caliber and that he was therefore unlikely to choose her as his running mate.
“She is not presidential wood,” Mr. Trump said at a campaign event in Concord, N.H. “If I say that, it probably means she won't be elected vice president.”
Mr. Trump, known for his off-the-cuff statements that diverge from his prepared remarks, continued by making clear that his firing of Ms. Haley was not a fluke: “When you say certain things, they kind of get disregarded . play, right?”
Mr. Trump is known for outing someone in one breath, then reversing himself when it becomes politically or otherwise advantageous to do so. But his attitude toward Ms. Haley, whom he has named his ambassador to the United Nations, has hardened as the New Hampshire primary draws closer.
Although Mr. Trump has a wide lead over Ms. Haley in the polls, she has narrowed the gap here in recent months. The Trump campaign is eyeing a decisive victory in New Hampshire, which could severely limit its chances of winning the Republican nomination.
On Friday, he again accused her of being supported primarily by Democrats, saying “leftists” were spending millions on ads so they could “flood your airwaves with Nikki propaganda.”
He acknowledged that she had done a “fine” job during his presidency. But he continued to insist that he only appointed her so he could elevate South Carolina's lieutenant governor to her seat.
“The one thing you need to know about Nikki Haley is that every corrupt and sinister group we have fought against for the last seven years is on her side,” Trump said.
Mr. Trump's comments came as he received a major endorsement from Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, who shares a home state with Ms. Haley and who has appointed Ms. Haley to the Senate.
Mr. Scott, whose endorsement was reported hours before the event, took the stage 25 minutes after Mr. Trump's speech. He rattled off a litany of “needs” for the country, stoked the crowd and led it in a spirited call and response, causing the crowd to shout along with him: “We need Donald Trump.”
“We need a president who will close our southern border today,” Mr. Scott began. “We need Donald Trump.”
Mr. Scott, the nation's most highly elected black Republican, concluded by saying, “We need a president who doesn't see black or white. We need a president who sees Americans as one American family.”
“That is why,” Mr. Scott concluded, he had decided to support Mr. Trump.
Mr. Scott remains overwhelmingly popular with Republican voters, and his support was sought by Ms. Haley. The former president seemed pleased to have won the award.
“You know, I'm running against someone from his state,” he said, introducing Mr. Scott. “So it's not that easy to do.”
The endorsement will add to speculation about Mr. Scott's chances of serving as Mr. Trump's running mate if he wins the Republican nomination. Mr. Trump said last week in Iowa that he had already made his choice, though neither he nor his campaign provided details.
Another politician talked about as a potential running mate, Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, the House Republican No. 4, spoke before Mr. Trump and was scheduled to participate in another campaign event in Manchester, N.H., on Saturday.
Previously, Ms. Stefanik — who endorsed Mr. Trump in November 2022 — told reporters that she would be honored to serve in a future Trump administration, but declined to comment on any conversations she had with Mr. Trump about that possibility had had.
During her remarks, Ms. Stefanik recounted how she interviewed the presidents of three prestigious universities during a Congressional hearing on anti-Semitism on college campuses.
Mr. Trump later praised her performance at that hearing. “Elise became very famous because she took charge of MIT, Penn and Harvard,” he said shortly before inviting her on stage. “Wasn't it beautiful?”
Maggie Haberman reporting contributed.