Trump denies considering Nikki Haley as running mate

Donald Trump on Saturday denied reports he was considering picking Nikki Haley as his running mate in a bid to pull in donors and appeal to moderate Republicans.

The pair were bitter rivals during the battle for the Republican nomination, with Mr Trump vilifying Ms Haley as “bird brain” and the former UN Ambassador calling Mr Trump “toxic”.

It had been reported that those close to Mr Trump and Ms Haley felt it would be mutually beneficial if the former opponents teamed up to take on Joe Biden in November.

Ms Haley, 52, who won over big-money donors wary of the former president, was said to have appealed to Mr Trump as he strives to close the fundraising gap between him and Mr Biden.

Mr Trump’s campaign had also been eyeing the university-educated Republicans who have continued to vote for her in primaries, despite her dropping out, Axios reported.

Ms Haley’s “zombie campaign” picked up more than 20 per cent of the vote in Indiana’s Republican primary this week.

But Mr Trump refuted the claims on Truth Social, saying Ms Haley “is not under consideration for the VP slot, but I wish her well”. His campaign also poured cold water on the rumours.

“Only President Trump will rule a contender for Vice President in or out, and anyone claiming to know who he will choose is lying,” Brian Hughes, a senior advisor to Mr Trump’s campaign, said.

Other possible contenders to become Mr Trump’s vice president pick include former Republican rivals Tim Scott and Doug Burgum.

Marco Rubio, the Florida senator, is also believed to be in the running, along with New York representative Elise Stefanik.

South Dakota governor Kristi Noem was seen as a viable candidate but has drawn criticism in recent weeks for writing about shooting her family dog.

Republicans could hold her responsible

Mr Biden has run adverts explicitly trying to appeal to Ms Haley’s voters who are turned off by Mr Trump.

“If you voted for Nikki Haley, Donald Trump doesn’t want your vote,” one advert claims between footage of Mr Trump attacking Ms Haley.

The potential positives for Ms Haley lie in protecting any future plans to run for the presidency. She hasn’t endorsed Mr Trump and if he loses the election without her support some Republicans could hold her responsible.

Christopher Galdieri, professor of politics at Saint Anselm’s College, said the joint ticket would make sense if Mr Trump were a “normal presidential nominee”.

Ms Haley is too “independent minded” for the former president, Mr Galdieri said.

“I think he wants a toady [yes-man]. I don’t think he wants somebody who will disagree with him or argue with him”, he told The Telegraph.

Trump’s penchant for humiliating opponents

However, Mr Trump’s penchant for “humiliating” his opponents could leave Ms Haley as an attractive pick.

“He might see bringing her onto his ticket, after all the things she’s said about him … as a big victory,” he added.

Mr Trump has said he will pick his running mate close to the Republican National Convention in July. The Telegraph approached Mr Trump’s and Ms Haley’s campaigns for comment.