Nikki Haley claims she rejected ‘truce’ proposal from Trump ally as she 'had no interest’ in his cabinet
WASHINGTON, DC: Nikki Haley, former US Ambassador to the United Nations, recently got candid about allegedly turning down an offer for a role in Donald Trump’s new administration, and it seems she’s more than ready to move on.
Haley — who’s been steering clear of any political drama since her failed run in the 2024 GOP primary — opened up on her weekly SiriusXM show 'Nikki Haley Live' on Wednesday, November 13, about a surprising visit she had received.
The 52-year-old recounted how Steve Witkoff — a longtime friend of Trump and fellow real estate mogul — came knocking at her door in South Carolina.
Nikki Haley claims she turned down role in Donald Trump's Cabinet
According to Nikki Haley, Steve Witkoff was on a mission to broker a peace deal between her and Donald Trump, who was reportedly unhappy with her for staying in the GOP primary longer than he liked.
“I had no interest in being in [Trump’s] Cabinet,” Haley insisted on her show. “He knew that, but to go a little further, his best friend, Steve Witkoff, came to our house in South Carolina, spoke to me and my husband, and basically wanted a truce between me and Donald Trump.”
But Haley wasn’t having it. “I told him at the time there was no truce needed, that Trump had my support. There was no issues on my end. At that point, he was like, ‘What do you want? Tell me what you want. Is there anything you want?’ I said, ‘There’s nothing I want,’” she recounted.
It seems like Trump isn’t exactly rolling out the red carpet for Haley either. Just this week, Trump announced that Witkoff would be his special envoy to the Middle East. Witkoff had even been spotted golfing with Trump at his West Palm Beach club on September 15 when an assassination attempt against Trump was foiled by a quick-thinking Secret Service agent.
Trump has made it crystal clear that Haley won’t be joining his team.
He took to Truth Social to officially rule her out. “I will not be inviting former Ambassador Nikki Haley, or former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, to join the Trump Administration, which is currently in formation. I very much enjoyed and appreciated working with them previously, and would like to thank them for their service to our Country," he proclaimed.
Haley responded with grace, saying she was “proud” to have worked with Trump and added, “I wish him, and all who serve, great success in moving us forward.”
I was proud to work with President Trump defending America at the United Nations. I wish him, and all who serve, great success in moving us forward to a stronger, safer America over the next four years. pic.twitter.com/6PhWN6xn1B
— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) November 10, 2024
Nikki Haley says 'it's time to move on'
Behind the scenes, however, it seems Nikki Haley's family had a different take on the situation.
She revealed on her show that her husband and son were less than thrilled with how she handled Donald Trump’s public snub. They wanted her to be more aggressive in her response and set the record straight about her lack of interest in any role. Haley, however, decided to keep it cool and took the high road.
“The truth is, I know the game he was playing. I don’t need to play that game, but more importantly, we have to look at the bigger picture. It is time to move on,” she explained.
Haley didn’t shy away from calling out Trump’s behavior, either. “Do I take it personally? No, that’s who he is. He can be shallow at times, and I think he showed that," she added.
In fact, Haley shared that she had actually given some input on Trump’s transition team—but not for herself. She spoke with Howard Lutnick — the co-chair of Trump’s transition team and CEO of investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald — offering suggestions for key positions.
“What I said is, I think it’s really important that Trump surrounds himself with people that are going to tell him the truth,” Haley recalled. “I mentioned someone I thought would be good for commerce secretary and mentioned that I thought the UN ambassador should be a cabinet pick. I did not ask anything for me.”
When the New York Post reached out for a comment on Haley’s revelations, the Trump campaign didn’t have much to add. They simply referred back to Trump’s own Truth Social post about not bringing Haley into the next administration.