Trump World in Talks With Haley for Eleventh-Hour Joint Campaign Event

Nikki Haley, a former Republican presidential candidate who had sparred with Donald Trump during the 2024 primaries, is now firmly backing the GOP's 2024 nominee.

Haley, who once served as Trump’s U.N. ambassador, is currently in talks to join him on the campaign trail to appeal to disaffected Republicans. According to The Bulwark, while “the details and dates for the joint appearance haven’t been fully worked out,” a possible town hall event could bring them together by the end of the month, potentially featuring Fox News personality Sean Hannity.

Facing a significant gender gap, Trump’s campaign has already held five town halls since August, moderated by female political figures, but none with Haley’s stature. The outlet added that Haley was the last Republican standing against Trump in the primary and, despite the contentious ending, she spoke on his behalf at the Republican National Convention on July 16.

A Republican consultant close to Trump’s campaign mentioned that Haley has “already exceeded expectations” in supporting Trump, noting she has recorded a robocall in his favor and helped fundraise for him. “There’s no reason to doubt her loyalty and willingness to help,” the consultant said, though some logistical scheduling remains.

However, not everyone in Trump’s circle is convinced the joint event will happen, citing potential lingering bad feelings. One Trump associate said, “I’ll believe it when I see” Haley alongside Trump, though another adviser expressed hope, noting Haley’s value in the series of town halls featuring women like Tulsi Gabbard, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, and Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn.

Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for Trump’s campaign, stated, “Anyone who wants to make America great again, secure our southern border, restore law and order, and bring down inflation only has one option on the ballot, and that option is President Donald J. Trump.” She welcomed all Americans who share these values to join the Trump team.

In August, Haley formally endorsed Trump, declaring, “Donald Trump has my strong endorsement. Our country is at a critical moment. We have a choice to make. For more than a year, I said, a vote for Joe Biden is a vote for President Kamala Harris. Everyone knows it’s true.” She warned that another term of Biden or Harris would make the country worse off, stating, “For the sake of our nation, we have to go with Donald Trump.” Haley also addressed voters who don’t always agree with Trump: “You don’t have to agree with Trump 100% of the time to vote for him. Take it from me. I haven’t always agreed with President Trump, but we agree more often than we disagree.”

Meanwhile, speculation surrounds the upcoming presidential debate in September between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. CNN reported that Trump’s team has requested muted microphones during the debate, similar to the format used in the first debate between Trump and Joe Biden. However, the Harris campaign is pushing for live microphones throughout the broadcast, as they believe muting would benefit Trump.

Brian Fallon, senior communications adviser for the Harris campaign, said, “We believe both candidates’ mics should be live throughout the full broadcast,” and criticized Trump’s team for allegedly seeking to protect him. He added, “We suspect Trump’s team has not even told their boss about this dispute because it would be too embarrassing to admit they don’t think he can handle himself.”

Trump’s campaign, however, maintains they agreed to the ABC debate under the same terms as the previous debate. Senior adviser Jason Miller stated, “Enough with the games. We accepted the ABC debate under the exact same terms as the CNN debate.”