Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley sidestepped a question about whether she thinks former President Donald Trump is a good candidate, instead admitting only that she thinks he is “the Republican nominee.”
After Haley said in a CBS “Face the Nation” interview airing Sunday about her 2024 candidacy, “I ran because I thought I could do a better job,” host Margaret Brennan responded, “Don’t you think he’s a good candidate?”
“I think he’s the Republican nominee,” Haley said in a clip released ahead of the full interview. “And I think it’s a no-brainer for me to pit him against Kamala Harris, who’s the Democratic nominee.”
“Now, do I agree with his style? Do I agree with his approach? Do I agree with his communication? No,” she continued.
Haley, who ran for the Republican nomination against Trump but withdrew and quickly endorsed him, said she disagrees with Trump’s style, approach or communications, but supports the former president because of his policies.
The former ambassador to the United Nations is also willing to offer advice, she told CBS. Haley said she is “standby” to campaign for Trump — and that he is aware of that readiness on her part. But she said she has not been asked to help with debate preparation or campaigning.
“And that’s his choice. Whatever he decides to do with his campaign, he can do that,” Haley said.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told NBC News’ “Meet the Press” last month that he would like to see Haley and other GOP leaders walk the walk, saying, “Nikki and I have to go to Georgia.”
“We’re on TV advising President Trump. He has a lot of critics,” Graham said. “He has a lot of advisers, but Nikki Haley and [Florida Gov. Ron] DeSantis and [Virginia Gov. Glenn] Youngkin and all these great people that we have, let’s come together and campaign for this man.”
Haley’s support — and willingness to run for Trump — is a stark contrast to the dynamic the two shared during the primaries, during which Trump ridiculed Haley’s birth name and Haley called him “decreased” and “unhinged.” Speaking at Clemson University after losing the South Carolina primary to Trump, Haley called him a “disaster” for the GOP, adding that she wasn’t afraid to voice her disapproval publicly and that she didn’t “have to kiss the ring.”
“Well, I’m not afraid to say the hard truth out loud,” Haley said at the time, ahead of her endorsement of Trump. “I don’t feel the need to kiss the ring. And I’m not afraid of Trump’s retaliation. I don’t expect anything from him.”
Haley has since gradually changed her tune, expressing her “strong support” for him at the Republican Party convention in July.
But that hasn’t stopped Haley from criticizing Trump’s campaign performance. In August, she told Fox News they needed to “focus” and refrain from making personal attacks on Harris.
When Haley discussed options with voters in November, she appeared to strike a resigned tone in her comments to Brennan.
“These are the candidates we got,” Haley said.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
