Trump: "Not Nominating Haley for Vice President"… Haley: "No Intention to Be Vice President"

Ahead of the second Republican primary in New Hampshire, former U.S. President Donald Trump stated that he has no intention of nominating his rival candidate, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, as his vice presidential running mate.

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On the 19th (local time) in Concord, New Hampshire, Trump said that Haley lacks the qualities of a president and added, "The fact that I am saying this now probably means Haley will not be chosen as vice president."

He went on to say that Haley is neither strong enough, smart enough, nor respected enough to "deal with" Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, or North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un.

Bloomberg News reported that Trump told his supporters that the New Hampshire primary on the 23rd could "end the race."

Trump said, "We will finish it. And then we can focus on the worst president." He expressed his intention to conclude the Republican primary and concentrate his efforts against President Joe Biden, who is considered his main opponent in the November general election.

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Meanwhile, former U.N. Ambassador Haley also made it clear that she has no intention of becoming vice president. According to Politico and The Washington Post (WP), she stated this at a dinner event with voters held in Amherst, New Hampshire, on the same day.

Haley said, "I have always said this," and added, "I do not want to be anyone's vice president. This (vice presidential speculation) is out of the question."

On the same day, former President Trump secured the endorsement of Senator Tim Scott (South Carolina, Republican), who had entered the Republican primary but withdrew midway. Tim Scott, as a Black politician, has served as a city council member, state legislator, and federal House and Senate member in the conservative stronghold of South Carolina. He entered this presidential primary but withdrew in November last year.

With Scott joining the Trump campaign, he has emerged as a leading candidate to be Trump's vice presidential pick if Trump wins the primary. Another potential vice presidential candidate is Representative Elise Stefanik, who aggressively questioned university presidents from prestigious institutions such as Harvard and MIT during congressional hearings on anti-Semitism.

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