Mike Pence and Nikki Haley may have a warm relationship, but the camps of the two political figures are reportedly feuding over rumors that Haley may knock Pence off the presidential ticket in 2020.
For months, rumors have been building that President Donald Trump could drop Vice President Pence from the ticket in 2020 and opt for Haley, the former U.N. Ambassador, instead. The rumors reached a head this week as Haley spoke out publicly to say that she had no intention of being on the ticket, but that apparently did little to ease tensions between her camp and Pence’s team.
As Politico reported, there is a growing rift between the allies of Haley and Pence as some in the vice president’s corner believe that Haley herself is the one behind the rumors. Many speculated this week when Haley spoke out to dispel the rumors that she seemed to have brought up the issue herself, a sentiment that is reportedly shared with Pence’s political team.
The Week noted that the tensions now date back several months.
“The recent divisions between the two prominent Republicans, both of whom are being touted as potential future GOP presidential candidates, were seemingly fueled in part by rumors that Haley would be a possible replacement, only to be exacerbated by the fact that she took so long to address them,” the report noted. “Some of Pence’s top aides reportedly think that Haley or an ally were actually behind a June Wall Street Journal op-ed urging Trump to make the change.”
As Oregon Live reported this week, there are rumors that the signs of potential trouble in the economy have left Donald Trump restless and worried that he may need more help in his re-election bid than Pence can offer. Trump is reportedly considering whether Haley could give him a bigger boost going into next year’s election, though Trump himself has repeatedly put off the idea that he may be dropping Mike Pence from the ticket.
Mike Pence and Nikki Haley battled for attention at a GOP donor retreat: report https://t.co/P5ypP731NB
— Raw Story (@RawStory) August 24, 2019
Though Nikki Haley said that she has a “warm” relationship with Mike Pence — and reports back up her assertion — there are other signs of increasing tension between the two. Politico reported that the two were vying for attention at a Republican retreat for wealthy donors held this week in Colorado. But the political conflict between the two may still be a ways off. The report noted that those in attendance believed they were preparing to face off in a 2024 Republican primary, not next year’s election.
