Former President Donald Trump stirred speculation about his potential running mate for the upcoming November election as he dismissed any consideration of his former Republican rival, Nikki Haley, for the vice president position.

Amidst fervent anticipation surrounding his return to the White House bid, the 77-year-old business mogul has kept observers guessing regarding his VP selection.

While names like Senators Tim Scott and J.D. Vance, along with New York congresswoman Elise Stefanik, have surfaced as probable contenders, Trump's latest announcement has shifted attention away from Haley.

Taking to his Truth Social platform on Saturday, Trump clarified, "Nikki Haley is not under consideration for the VP slot, but I wish her well!". Haley, who once vied against Trump in the Republican primaries, emerged as an unexpected but ultimately unconsidered choice.

🚨 Trump confirms Nikki Haley will not be his VP pic.twitter.com/P3ksywQgNF

— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) May 11, 2024

Despite Trump's public dismissal, Haley remains a prominent figure in Republican circles, particularly among moderate and independent voters—a demographic that both Trump and President Joe Biden seek to sway.

The 52-year-old former South Carolina governor has yet to endorse Trump, a fact compounded by Trump's past disparaging remarks, including referring to her as "birdbrain" during their primary face-off.

Read more: Biden's campaign: A con show to get Nikki Haley's supporters' votes

As speculation swirls regarding Trump's VP pick, AFP sought insights from the Trump camp earlier this week. However, a campaign aide remained tight-lipped as he stressed the unpredictability of Trump's decision-making process.

"Anyone claiming to know who or when President Trump will choose (as) his VP is lying unless the person is named Donald J. Trump," the aide told AFP.

Nikki told supporters to vote for Trump

After dropping out of the race in March, Haley said that Trump has to put in effort to win moderate Republican votes. 

Despite dropping out from the race, Haley recently garnered over 20% of the vote in the Indiana GOP primary, while Trump secured a decisive victory with 78.3% of the vote.

Similar trends were observed in Pennsylvania's GOP primary, where Haley, perceived as a more moderate candidate, garnered significant support despite withdrawing from the race earlier.

A report by  Politico earlier today detailed that the Biden campaign is leveraging Haley's support to highlight Trump's challenges in suburban areas and is actively targeting her supporters with ads criticizing Trump's remarks about Haley. 

Trump supporter: “I wouldn't vote for a woman and especially, you know, Nikki Haley — I'm just going to say this, she is probably menopausal; we don't need that.”
(March 2024) pic.twitter.com/W6P01zUAPN

— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) May 4, 2024

Read more: Persistent primary protest votes haunt Trump in Pennsylvania