South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) said former President Trump should not pick fellow GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley as his running mate.
Noem was asked by Newsmax’s Eric Bolling if it would be a mistake if Trump chose Haley to be his vice presidential pick. She replied “yes,” without hesitation.
“But if he picked her, I would tell him I disagreed with him. But then I would support the ticket, because he’s still the president and the president still makes the decisions,” Noem said Tuesday.
Noem has previously said she would be Trump’s running mate “in a heartbeat.” In September, the former president said he likes “the concept” of a female vice president but hadn’t given much thought to whom he would choose.
Noem is among a group of rumored candidates, including Haley, who has gone head-to-head with Trump campaigning so far.
“And you know, I just, I’ve had a lot of disagreement with Nikki Haley over the years, and I just don’t know which Nikki Haley is going to show up every day,” Noem said, highlighted by Mediaite. “She’s a different person depending on whatever works for her political agenda.”
“So, I just, what I love about President Trump, or what I think the American people love about President Trump, is that he’s just himself and he’s just genuine,” Noem continued. “He’s just a normal human being who tells the truth, and gets up every day fighting for people. He has no reason to do this job other than the fact that he really truly does believe in America. And he wants to put the people out there — they get up every day and go to work. He wants to put them first.”
Noem is not running for president in 2024 but has maintained a public presence, frequently appearing on cable TV and running an ad on Fox News ahead of the first Republican presidential debate.
Trump is the leading candidate for the GOP nomination but has not made an indication as to who will be his running mate.