CONCORD, N.H. — President Donald Trump on Friday told supporters he would not choose his leading primary opponent, Nikki Haley, as his running mate, citing her performance during his administration and her attacks on him while running for the GOP nomination.
Mr. Trump, 77, and Ms. Haley, 51, held dueling political rallies Friday night, four days ahead of the critical New Hampshire Primary. Mr. Trump is up by 16 points in the polls over Ms. Haley, who served as U.S. ambassador to the U.N. during his administration.
Mr. Trump shrugged off her performance as U.N. ambassador.
“She was OK, but she was not presidential timber,” Mr. Trump said. “Now, when I say that, that probably means that she’s not going to be chosen as the vice president.”
He suggested she went too far in criticizing him on the campaign trail, ruling herself out as his running mate.
“You know you can go and you can say certain things, you know, I don’t like that man. But, when you say certain things, it sort of takes them out of play, right?” Mr. Trump asked supporters at Friday’s rally.
Ms. Haley has accused Mr. Trump of lying about her on the campaign trail and said she is more capable of beating President Biden in November.
“Rightly or wrongly, chaos follows him,” Ms. Haley told supporters in Manchester on Friday.
Ms. Haley had been named by some Republicans as a potential running mate if Mr. Trump, the prohibitive frontrunner, wins the nomination.
But the race in New Hampshire has grown particularly vicious between Mr. Trump and Ms. Haley. He’s seeking another blowout win following his 30-point margin of victory in last week’s Iowa Republican caucus.
Ms. Haley is barnstorming New Hampshire alongside Gov. John Sununu, who has been a staunch critic of Mr. Trump.
She ruled out serving as his running mate during a stop at an Amherst diner earlier in the day.
Mr. Trump on Friday accused Ms. Haley of making “an unholy alliance” with Democrats and “RINOs,” or Republicans-in-name-only, to secure a win in New Hampshire, which allows undeclared voters to participate in the primary, many of them Democrats.
He said she’s not tough enough to secure the nation’s porous southern border — a top issue among Granite State voters — and is funded by Democrats, which she denies.
“The people behind Nikki Haley are pro-amnesty. They’re pro-China. They’re pro-open borders. They’re pro-war, pro-deep state, and they’re actually, effectively pro-Biden,” Mr. Trump said.
• Susan Ferrechio can be reached at sferrechio@washingtontimes.com.
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