President Trump struck down the possibility of former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley replacing Vice President Mike Pence as his running mate in 2020 during an interview with Fox Business Network Wednesday.
Trump was asked about a recent Wall Street Journal op-ed, which suggested the political swap. Trump affirmed his appreciation for Haley, describing her as a “friend” and noting her involvement in his campaign, but dismissed the possibility of her future position as his vice president.
“I love Nikki. She’s endorsed me. She’s my friend. She’s a part of my campaign,” Trump said. “But Mike has been a great vice president. He’s a hundred percent.”
“Mike Pence is the person, a hundred percent,” Trump said. “You can’t break up a team like that … And we get along well together.”
His statement echoed the remarks he made during an appearance on Meet the Press Sunday.
“When you were asked about Mike Pence in 2024 and you, and you, and you paused a minute about endorsing him as your successor, that got a lot of people going, ‘Is Mike Pence 100 percent on your ticket in 2020?’ ” Chuck Todd asked.
Trump left no room for speculation.
“One-hundred percent, yes,” Trump said, adding he was caught off guard by Todd’s question.
“I mean, you know, I’m not even thinking of it. It’s so far out. I mean, It’s so far out,” he added.
WATCH: Trump says there won't be a third term, Pence is "100 percent" on the ticket in 2020 #MTP #IfItsSunday pic.twitter.com/qJiDZHxEOJ
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) June 23, 2019
Rumors of Pence’s potential replacement swirled after Haley resigned from the administration last fall.
“No, I’m not running for 2020,” she said at the time. “I can promise you what I’ll be doing is campaigning for this one. So I look forward to supporting the president in the next election.”
Trump expressed hope that she would come back in another capacity, promising that she would “have her pick.”
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.