President-elect Donald Trump announced Saturday that Nikki Haley, who served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations during her first term and then competed against him in the Republican primary this cycle, will not be invited to join his administration.
He also said Mike Pompeo, who served as secretary of state and CIA director during Trump’s first term, would not rejoin the Cabinet.
“I will not be inviting former Ambassador Nikki Haley or former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to join the Trump administration currently being formed,” Trump wrote. “I have greatly enjoyed and appreciated working with them in the past, and I would like to express my gratitude for their service to our country.”
This comes after two sources with knowledge of the process. told CBS News Pompeo, 60, is being discussed as a candidate for Secretary of Defense.
Haley, 52, a former governor of South Carolina, ran as a Republican candidate in 2016 but was eliminated and then supported Senator Marco Rubio from Florida.
But Trump still chose her to be his ambassador to the United Nations, a position she held until she took office. Sudden resignation in 2018. At the time, President Trump praised her, saying she was “very special” to him and that she could later return to his administration, “You can choose.”
Haley did not run for president in 2020, but has launched a 2024 run against her former boss. she Campaign has been discontinued He was the last major Republican challenger in the field following Super Tuesday in March.
But only after two months She gave me the address At the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee last July, she announced her support for Trump.
At the time, she said President Trump had asked her to speak as a “show of unity.”
to interview “I 100% disagree with what Trump said,” Haley told Margaret Brennan on CBS News’ “Face the Nation” in September.
“I don’t have to like him or agree with him 100 percent to know that Americans’ lives will be better under policies that have strong immigration, strong law and order, and a strong economy. We look for opportunities to ensure strong national security.” “You can do it,” he said.
Pompeo also supported Trump at the RNC. I served for 4 years A look at Trump’s first administration. that chose I will not compete with Trump in 2024.
trump on friday presentation He said he chose his campaign co-chair, Suzy Wiles, to be White House chief of staff, making her the first woman in history to hold that position. It was his first major White House personnel decision since defeating Vice President Kamala Harris to become president.
Kathryn Watson, Melissa Quinn, Caitlin Yilek, James LaPorta and Robert Costa contributed to this report.
