Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley said she had “no interest” in taking a role in President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet.
“I had no interest in being in his Cabinet, he knew that,” Haley said during an episode of her radio show, “SiriusXM’s Nikki Haley Live,” on Wednesday. She said Steve Witkoff, whom Trump has since announced he’ll name Middle East special envoy in his administration, came to Haley’s home in South Carolina and “wanted a truce” between Haley and Trump and asked if there was anything she wanted.
“There was no truce needed. Trump had my support. There was no issues on my end,” Haley said. When asked what she wanted, she told Witkoff, “There’s nothing I want,” Haley said on the show.
Trump and Haley have had a fraught relationship since she challenged him in the Republican primaries. The week before Election Day, Haley said she was “on standby” to campaign for Trump, though she ultimately never stumped for him.
And last week, Trump said on Truth Social that he would not be “inviting” his former U.N. ambassador to a role in his second administration.
“I very much enjoyed and appreciated working with [Haley and Mike Pompeo] previously, and would like to thank them for their service to our Country,” Trump said.
Haley also detailed conversations with Trump transition team co-chair Howard Lutnick about Trump’s Cabinet, where she said Trump should “surround himself with people that are going to tell him the truth.”
“But I did not ask anything for me, and I have made it clear to everyone that I was not interested in the administration,” Haley said on the show.
“Do I take it personally? No. That’s who he is,” Haley said. “He can be shallow at times, and I think he’s showed that. But I don’t have to be shallow. At the end of the day, I’m very comfortable with where I am and I’m comfortable with what happened.”
