(NationalUSNews.com) — On Wednesday, May 22, former governor of South Carolina and presidential primary candidate Nikki Haley announced that she will be voting for Donald Trump in the upcoming election.
The rivalry during the primaries between Trump and Haley became contentious. The former president himself has admitted that it got “nasty”. Haley was popular among more moderate Republicans, particularly those who disliked Trump specifically. Asked if there would be room for Haley on his team, Trump agreed that she is very capable and that she will be with them “in some form”.
It does not seem likely that Trum will be sharing a ticket with Haley, as some have suggested. Trump would not commit to his top picks but did name some names that are being considered. HUD Secretary and former neurosurgeon Ben Carson was mentioned, as were Senators Marco Rubio and J.D. Vance. He also referred to New York Republican Representative Elise Stefanik as one of the people he believes would do “a really fantastic job.” Ohio Republican Representative Warren Davidson commented that when people bring up Haley as a possible running mate for Trump, he always indicates it’s not going to happen.
Kansas Republican Senator Roger Marshall says that many of Haley’s supporters are still voting for her, although she dropped out of the 2024 presidential race in March. Many in the Haley Voters Working Group have said they will be writing in Haley’s name rather than cast a vote for Trump. Marshall says that whoever Trump’s vice-presidential pick is, they should be chosen to appeal to these voters in order to bring them “home”.
The deputy political director of the Biden campaign, Juan Peñalosa, agrees with Marshall that these Haley voters could be important in the upcoming election. As soon as Haley announced her intention to vote for Trump, the Biden campaign held a virtual meeting with many of her supporters to see if those votes could be captured for Biden.
A former volunteer for Haley, Alissa Baker, commented that while she respects Haley’s decision to vote for whoever she likes, she herself will never vote for former president Trump. While many of the possible vice president options are closely aligned with Trump, many GOP official believe he needs to balance the ticket with a more moderate choice. Some of Haley’s supporters are pushing for her to angle for the position. If vice president is off the table for her, though, perhaps her loyalists will be satisfied with Trump’s promise to find a place for her in his administration.
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