Trump is asking allies about Nikki Haley amid VP speculation, but his MAGA inner circle are fiercely opposed, a report says

• Trump is asking allies what they think of his GOP presidential rival Nikki Haley, a report says.
• There has been speculation that Haley could make a good vice-president candidate.
• His inner circle is strongly opposed to a Trump-Haley ticket, saying she does not align with MAGA values.

Former President Donald Trump is asking allies what they think about Nikki Haley amid speculation that she would be a good candidate for vice-president, Politico reported.

However, many in Trump's inner circle are working to dissuade him from considering the former South Carolina governor, whom they see as part of the political establishment and not aligned with his MAGA base.

While Trump remains firmly ahead of his Republican rivals in the polls, Haley has gained considerable traction in the primary race.

Trump has now been asking people outside his campaign what they think about Haley, three people familiar with the conversations told Politico.

Haley could be seen as a logical pick for Trump, because she leads President Joe Biden nationally and in key battleground states by wide margins.

However, Donald Trump Jr., Trump's eldest son, said he would "go to great lengths to make sure" his father didn't pick Haley, in an interview with Newsmax.

Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, a longtime Trump ally, also said that he would not vote for a Trump-Haley ticket and would in fact, "advocate against it as strongly as I could."

Speaking at a conservative conference last week, former Trump chief strategist Steve Bannon called Haley "Lucifer" and warned that the GOP establishment will pressure Trump to choose her as running mate.

He told Politico that Haley used "outdated Republican talking points" and "Fox News-laundered neoliberal neocon policies that MAGA finds unacceptable."

"Birdbrain"

Meanwhile, Haley has received a boost from the latest polling ahead of the New Hampshire Republican presidential primary on January 23, which shows she has whittled Trump's lead down to four percent.

According to a December survey by American Research Group Inc. asking voters who they preferred in the primary, Trump earned 33% support, and Haley snared 29%, per The Hill.

Trump denounced the poll on Truth Social in typical fashion.

"Fake New Hampshire poll was released on Birdbrain," Trump said about Haley. "Just another scam!

Haley and Trump have a tumultuous history. She was initially critical of him during his 2016 campaign but later accepted his offer to become his ambassador to the United Nations.

Haley resigned from the role in 2018 and later broke from Trump over the Capitol riot, although they later appeared to put their differences aside. She initially said she would not run for president in 2024 if Trump did, but eventually decided to challenge him.

It is unclear how seriously Trump is considering Haley as his vice-president pick.

Politico noted that it's normal for the former president to survey opinions among donors and outside advisers and has been asking them for their impressions of other prominent Republicans in recent months, too.

Many people close to the former president say they are unsure if he would even seriously consider Haley, considering he values loyalty above all else.

Speculation about vice presidential picks is likely premature, as selections are typically made shortly before the party convention, which will be next summer.

However, the forceful response to Haley from the MAGA wing of the Republican Party shows that they are concerned about the future and likely see Trump's pick as a potential future leader for the party.