(NEW YORK) — Former President Donald Trump made his first public comments on former GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley finally breaking her silence and saying she would vote for him.
“I appreciated what she said,” Trump told Long Island’s News 12 after his rally on Thursday when asked about her comments.
Trump then suggested there could be a place for Haley on his “team” and called her a “capable person.”
“Is there room for her on your team or, better yet, your ticket?” the reporter asked.
“Well, I think she’s gonna be on our team because we have a lot of the same ideas, the same thoughts,” said Trump.
“You know, we had a nasty campaign; it was pretty nasty. But she’s a very capable person, and I’m sure she’s going to be on our team in some form. Absolutely.”
His comments represent a departure from his usual rhetoric on the campaign trail when he often referred to Haley as “birdbrain” and criticized her intelligence. He spent months focusing his attention on Haley during the GOP primaries, ramping up his attacks on her as she insisted on staying in the race as other candidates dropped out.
On Wednesday, during her first public speaking event since exiting the presidential race, Haley said that despite her disappointments with Trump, she still feels like he is a better candidate than Biden.
“Trump has not been perfect on these policies. I’ve made that clear many, many times. But Biden has been a catastrophe. So I will be voting for Trump,” Haley said at the Hudson Institute in Washington.
Earlier this month, Trump dismissed the idea of Haley being his running mate, writing on his social media platform, “Nikki Haley is not under consideration for the V.P. slot, but I wish her well!” in response to a news report alleging the Trump campaign is considering Haley as his vice presidential candidate.
During his interview with News 12 on Thursday night, Trump was also asked about vice president picks. He wouldn’t give his top three choices but did list some names he says he is considering: Ben Carson, Sen. Marco Rubio, Sen. JD Vance, and Rep. Elise Stefanik.
Trump then said he would make his final decision “sometime during the convention.”
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