Nikki Haley suggests she wouldn’t be Trump’s running mate: 'I’ve never played for second'

During a recent campaign event in Iowa, former UN ambassador Nikki Haley suggested to a crowd of supporters that if her former boss offered her the #2 spot on his presidential campaign, she would turn him down.

According to a Saturday report in the New York Times, Haley said she aimed to have "a good showing" in the Hawkeye State, with the plan to build up momentum in New Hampshire — where she is currently polling in second place — and then to her home state of South Carolina, where the former governor promised to "take it." She added that she had no plans to be vice president in a second Donald Trump administration, even though he tapped her to be UN ambassador in his first term.

"I've never played for second," Haley said.

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Haley's appearance in Iowa marked her first event there since Wednesday night's debate, where she appeared onstage with former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. The former South Carolina governor fended off attacks from DeSantis and Ramaswamy with Christie coming to her defense on multiple occasions. Ramaswamy, for his part, referred to Haley as a "fascist," at one point holding up a piece of paper that read "Haley = corrupt."

Polls have showed Haley steadily increasing her vote share among likely Republican primary voters, particularly in New Hampshire. According to RealClearPolitics, Granite Staters are particularly warm to the former UN ambassador, who has seen her approval climb from the low single digits in September to 18.7% as of late November. However, Trump remains the favorite in both national and early state polls, leading the pack by anywhere from 30 to 50 points with the Iowa Caucuses just weeks away.

The fourth Republican debate this week was the least watched of the series, attracting just four million views. The Republican National Committee (RNC) announced Friday that it would no longer be hosting any additional debates for the remainder of the 2024 campaign season. There are two debates scheduled for January in New Hampshire hosted by both ABC News and CNN, though the RNC is not playing a role in either one. Trump declined to participate in any of the RNC-sanctioned debates.

READ MORE: RNC no longer hosting presidential debates after Trump refuses to attend a single one