Former South Carolina GOP Gov. Nikki Haley has come out to say she is voting for presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, feeding moderates and liberal media narratives hoping for Haley as a potential running mate.
Politico published a report headlined "Hill GOP urges Trump to consider an establishment running mate — maybe even Haley," but the story remains Trump has openly ruled out Haley as a potential vice presidential candidate.
The Trump campaign during the early primary states denounced Haley's use of anti-Trump Democrats, who said they would ultimately just vote for President Joe Biden anyway, to try to create momentum for the GOP nomination.
Those early states permitted open primaries where independents and Democrats could vote against Republicans in primaries to try to make a candidate of their choosing to oppose Biden.
But there are Republicans who have not backed Trump, and perhaps Haley's chiming in to vote for Trump might help, according to Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kansas.
"People in these primaries are still voting for Nikki Haley," he told Politico. "I think that we need to be focused on that group of people. I hope we get a vice president that will appeal to that group.
"Then those folks will start coming home."
Trump has frequently ruled it out, but he had also previously ruled out any former presidential primary opponent that appeared in the early debates from being a vice presidential candidate, too.
Now, former GOP rival Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., onetime primary opponents Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, and critic-turned-backer Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, are admittedly in the mix for Trump as key administration contributors, if not running mates.
"I would not discount Nikki," former Trump administration interior secretary, Ryan Zinke, R-Mont., told Politico. "He wants to make sure his running mate does not necessarily reflect himself, but also really reflects areas where he needs to be more competitive to win."
Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., was the sole House Republican to back Haley's primary, but he has come back on to support Trump for president and called Haley's similar vow "great news."
One of the first 2024 primary GOP leaders in Congress to stand behind Trump, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., is selling Trump on Scott, the lone Black GOP senator.
"He'll serve the president well: Tim has wide and deep support," Graham told Politico, noting Haley is out. "She'd have been a good choice, but I'm afraid there’s been too much damage done."
Vice President Kamala Harris was once the key Democrat primary antagonist in 2020 that attacked then-candidate Biden on race – only to ultimately be chosen as running mate to raised media eyebrows.
"It’s too bad that Nikki Haley is out of it," Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., told Politico. "I do think she would be a really, really good running mate for him.
"If you're looking for a demographic choice that adds value to the ticket, I mean, it's hard to beat Tim Scott."
Rubio is another establishment GOP candidate surging in the narratives, Politico noted.
"They must want me out of the Senate," Rubio said, when asked about vice presidential prospects. "We're a long ways from there, I haven't talked to the president or his team about that.
"If that opportunity presents itself, I'll have to give you a better answer."
But the continued media desire to cast Haley as a candidate for vice president flies in the face of Trump's words, Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, a House Freedom Caucus member, told Politico.
"People keep trying to float Nikki Haley's name on the list, and [Trump] keeps saying 'not happening,'" Davidson said. "I would agree with that.
"Tim Scott will help him, Marco Rubio will help him, Elise Stefanik will help him. I think J.D. Vance will help him."
Vance said Trump will make the decision and media reports will not impact it.
"I'll just say I'm glad it's not my decision," Vance told Politico. "He's got pretty good instincts. My advice, for what it's worth, is that Trump follows his."