Former President Donald Trump is likely to exclude his presidential primary rival Nikki Haley from running for vice president.
President Trump made the comments about Haley, whom he appointed as ambassador to the United Nations while in the Oval Office, during a rally in Concord, New Hampshire, on Friday.
“She's fine, but she's not a presidential contender. And for me to say that probably means she won't be chosen as vice president,” Trump said.
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Former Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
President Trump said he did not trust the former U.N. ambassador's ability to handle tough negotiations with leaders of hostile countries.
“I know her well. She's not tough enough. She's not smart enough. And she's not respected enough. She can't do this job,” he continued. . “She won't be able to do business with President Xi. She won't be able to do business with Putin.”
President Trump remained cryptic about his remarks, saying shortly after the “president's wood” comment that such public statements meant he could not retract his assessment of her character.
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“When you say certain things, it kind of takes away from the person, right?” the former president scoffed. “You can't say, 'She's not the right person to be vice president,' and then say, 'Guys, I'm proud to have you as vice president.'”
Haley made a similar promise earlier in the day when she stopped by an Amherst diner ahead of the state primary.
Republican presidential candidate and former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley speaks at the caucus night party at the Marriott Hotel in West Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Abby Parr)
“I don't want to be vice president of anywhere. That's beside the point,” Haley said. “I've always said that. It's a game they're playing and I'm not going to play it. I don't want to be vice president.”
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With the New Hampshire primary just four days away, Haley is trailing Trump by double digits in the latest polls, but she is eyeing every opportunity to defeat the Republican front-runner.
“Look at Iowa. So President Trump won a state of 3 million people by 56,000 votes. Turnout in Iowa was very low, but in New Hampshire it was very low. There will be good turnout,” Haley told reporters. She made her first retail stop on Friday morning as she mocked President Trump's landslide victory in the Iowa caucuses on Monday.
During a campaign event in Rochester, Haley criticized President Trump for his past support for raising the federal gas tax and raising the retirement age, and accused him of lying about his background.
Fox News Digital's Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
