Former US president Donald Trump commented on the possibility of Nikki Haley joining him as running mate should he win the Republican primaries.
The comments come on the background of other opponents, notably Florida governor Ron DeSantis, claiming that Haley is only running so that Trump will offer her the position in return for her withdrawing from the race.
“She is not presidential timber,” Mr. Trump said at a campaign event in Concord, N.H. “Now, when I say that, that probably means that she’s not going to be chosen as the vice president.”
She’s not tough enough. She’s not smart enough. And she wasn’t respected enough. She cannot do this job. She’s not going to be able to deal with President Xi. She’s not going to be able to deal with Putin.”
Haley has repeatedly been asked if she is only intending to take the office of Vice-President, and has thus far only answered that she is not running for second place.
“I have always said that. That is a game they play that I’m not going to play,” she said to a New Hampshire voter. “I don’t want to be vice president.” Haley further claimed that the question of who Trump would pick was trivial, as she expected to emerge victorious in the primaries.