Former presidential candidate and Trump administration official Nikki Haley has hit back at Donald Trump after he rejected her for a role in his cabinet.
Speaking on her weekly SiriusXM radio show, Haley said that Trump was playing games with her and that he was a “shallow” man who she was rising above.
“I know the game he was playing. I don’t need to play that game,” she explained. “He can be shallow at times, and I think he showed that.”
“I had no interest in being in his cabinet. He knew that,” she continued. “At this point, we should pray President Trump does well, we should pray that everyone he appoints does well.”
Haley’s comments come after Trump announced that neither Haley nor former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo would be returning to his second administration, which is already looking very different from the last.
“I will not be inviting former Ambassador Nikki Haley, or former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, to join the Trump Administration, which is currently in formation,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“I very much enjoyed and appreciated working with them previously, and would like to thank them for their service to our Country. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
At the time of the announcement, Haley said she was “proud” to work with Trump and wished him “great success” in his second term in office.
I was proud to work with President Trump defending America at the United Nations. I wish him, and all who serve, great success in moving us forward to a stronger, safer America over the next four years. pic.twitter.com/6PhWN6xn1B
— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) November 10, 2024
Haley and Trump have had a conflicted relationship since he first appointed her as his Ambassador to the United Nations back in 2017.
While Haley mostly declined to criticize her boss during and after she departed the role, she nevertheless decided to run against him in the 2024 Republican primaries and described him as “unfit” for office.
Nevertheless, Haley eventually confirmed that she would be voting for Trump, while he said that she would “be on our team in some form” when forming his next administration.
I’ll start by making one thing perfectly clear. Donald Trump has my strong endorsement.
Our country is at a critical moment. We have a choice to make. For more than a year, I said a vote for Joe Biden is a vote for President Kamala Harris. After seeing the debate, everyone…
— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) July 17, 2024
“You know, we had a nasty campaign. It was pretty nasty,” Trump said at the time. “But she’s a very capable person, and I’m sure she’s going to be on our team in some form. Absolutely.”
