Donald Trump responds to Nikki Haley saying she will vote for him and suggests she will be ‘on our team’

Former President Donald Trump made his first public comments about former Republican 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 Thursday rally when asked about his comments.

Trump then suggested there might 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?” » asked the journalist.

“Well, I think she will be part of our team because we have the same ideas, the same thoughts,” Trump said.

“You know, we had a bad campaign; it was pretty nasty. But she’s a very capable person, and I’m sure she’ll be a part of our team in one way or another. Absolutely. “

His comments represent a departure from his usual rhetoric on the campaign trail, when he often called Haley “birdbrained” and criticized her intelligence. He spent months focusing his attention on Haley during the GOP primaries, intensifying his attacks on her as she insisted on staying in the race while other candidates dropped out.

On Wednesday, in her first public speaking engagement since exiting the presidential race, Haley said that despite her disappointments with Trump, she still felt he was a better candidate than Biden.

“Trump has not been perfect on these policies. I have made this clear many times. But Biden was a disaster. So I will vote for Trump,” Haley said at the Hudson Institute in Washington.

Earlier this month, Trump rejected the idea of ​​Haley being his running mate, writing on his social media platform: “Nikki Haley is not being considered for VP, but I wish her luck!” in response to a report alleging that the Trump campaign is considering Haley as its vice presidential candidate.

During his interview with News 12 Thursday evening, Trump was also asked about vice presidential choices. He didn’t give his top three choices, but listed a few names he says he’s considering: Ben Carson, Sen. Marco Rubio, Sen. JD Vance and Rep. Elise Stefanik.

Trump then said he would make his final decision “during the convention.”