Two Trump administration alums and 2024 hopefuls – former secretary of state Mike Pompeo and former governor Nikki Haley (R-SC) – have traded blows in recent weeks after Pompeo claimed Haley was eyeing Mike Pence’s vice president post even while she worked as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.
In his upcoming book, Pompeo, the former secretary of state, claims Haley conspired with Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump in an effort to replace Mike Pence as vice president.
Pompeo writes that Haley secured a personal meeting with Trump without speaking to him first, and came in with the two Trump advisers to make the vice president pitch, ultimately playing former Chief of Staff John Kelly.
According to Pompeo’s memoir, Haley duped former Chief of Staff John Kelly into giving her a personal meeting with then-President Trump. Pompeo says Haley then used that audience to make a pitch for the vice presidency, the Daily Caller reports.
Pompeo writes that John Kelly was “certain” he had been played by Haley, but says he cannot confirm the meeting’s content.
“As best Kelly could tell,” Pompeo writes, “they were presenting a possible ‘Haley for vice-president’ option. I can’t confirm this, but [Kelly] was certain he had been played, and he was not happy about it. Clearly, this visit did not reflect a team effort but undermined our work for America.”
In response, Haley called Pompeo’s claims “lies and gossip,” also pointing out that he himself says his theory is unconfirmed.
“I don’t know why he said it, but that’s exactly why I stayed out of D.C. as much as possible, to get away from the drama,” Haley told Fox News host Bret Baier.
Former President Donald Trump is the only Republican officially running for president thus far, but rumors have also swirled around Pompeo and Haley.
In her exclusive interview with Bret Baier, Haley discussed 2024, suggesting that she is considering a run.
“When you’re looking at a run for president, you’re looking at two things,” Haley said. “You first look at, ‘Does the current situation push for new leadership?”
“The section question is, ‘Am I that person who could be that new leader?”
“Yes, I can be that leader,” Haley claimed.
Stay tuned. pic.twitter.com/813AG9PPRV
— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) January 20, 2023
