Meghan McCain: Trump will replace Pence with Haley to counter ‘identity politics’

Meghan McCain predicted during Friday’s edition of “The View” that President Trump will replace Vice President Pence as his 2020 running mate with former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley.

McCain made her comments during a discussion around if former vice president Joe Biden, the 2020 Democratic front-runner, will choose a woman to share the ticket should he clinch the party’s nomination.

“I still think, though, that if [Biden] chooses a woman, then Trump is going to kick Pence out and put in Nikki Haley,” McCain said. “Because I think they’ll go toe-for-toe and they’re going to be like, ‘You want to identity politics me? I’ll identity politics you.’ And I just … think they’re gangster.”

Co-host Joy Behar pushed back with the idea that Pence is “starting to look good” in recent days as he leads the administration’s response to the coronavirus outbreak.

“So I don’t know if the party would like that, to take Pence out,” she said.

“You know who [Biden] should pick, but he won’t,” fellow co-host Whoopi Goldberg replied before reeling off possible candidates including Stacey Abrams, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and former first lady Michelle Obama.

“The person who really is qualified to do it, and he cannot pick her: Hillary Clinton,” Goldberg added, pointing to a recently released Hulu documentary on Clinton that she believes proves the 2016 Democratic nominee would be a “brilliant” choice.

BIDEN DROPPING VP HINTS? As Joe Biden continues to appear to become the likely Democratic presidential nominee, the co-hosts question who he’ll pick as his vice president and discuss if America is ready to see a woman in the role. https://t.co/1DZmjJdQbY pic.twitter.com/1K3ITWO79W

— The View (@TheView) March 13, 2020

McCain’s prediction mirrors one made by CNN political analyst Paul Begala on March 2, when the former Clinton adviser declared that Trump is “gonna dump” Pence in favor of Haley on July 16, when the eventual Democratic pick is slated to officially accept the nomination.

“This is not a prediction. It’s a certainty. On Thursday, July 16 — that’s the date the Democrat gives his or her acceptance address — on that day, to interrupt that narrative, Donald Trump will call a press conference at Mar-a-Lago. He’s going to dump Mike Pence and put Nikki Haley on the ticket to try to get those suburban moms,” Begala predicted during a panel discussion at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s conference in Washington, D.C.

“You watch. Guaranteed,” Begala said. “Trump put Pence in charge of coronavirus to throw him under the bus.”

Haley, a former governor of South Carolina who was nominated by Trump to serve as U.N. ambassador and confirmed with a 96-4 vote in January 2017, has staunchly denied speculation she could replace Pence on the GOP ticket.

“The vice president and the president are a great ticket together,” Haley told “Fox & Friends” in November. “They’re solid. Solid enough that they’re going to win together. There is no truth whatsoever that I would ever in any way look to get that position. I think Mike is great for that job and I think that he’s the right partner for the president.”

“Mike Pence is a great vice president,” Trump said in November, while noting Haley would “absolutely” be involved in his 2020 campaign.

“She is a friend of mine, she endorsed me with the most beautiful endorsement you’ve ever heard. She did a great job at the U.N.,” Trump added.