Former president denies reports that Haley will be running mate

DONALD TRUMP yesterday 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, the president, in November.

Ms Haley, 52, who won over bigmoney 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.

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.

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

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.

The potential positives for Ms Haley lie in protecting any future plans to run for the presidency. She has not endorsed Mr Trump and if he loses 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”. However, he told The Telegraph: “I think he wants a toady [yesman]. I don’t think he wants somebody who will disagree with him or argue with him.”

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.

‘I don’t think he wants somebody who will disagree with him or argue with him’