WASHINGTON (AFP) – US President-elect Donald Trump ruled out on Saturday re-appointing two senior figures from his first administration, ex-secretary of state Mike Pompeo and former UN ambassador Nikki Haley.
Writing on his Truth Social social network, Trump said he “will not be inviting” either figure to join his administration as speculation swirls about the identity of his new team.
Haley ran against Trump in the Republican primary this year before endorsing him, but she offered at times blunt advice such as when she urged him to “quit whining” about Democrat candidate Kamala Harris in August.
“I very much appreciated working with them previously and would like to thank them for their service to our country,” Trump wrote on Saturday.
Trump has made one cabinet appointment so far, naming his campaign manager Susie Wiles – who he calls “ice baby” due to her supposedly unflappable temperament – as his White House chief of staff.
She is the first woman to be named to the crucial White House gatekeeper role.
(FILES) US Republican Presidential hopeful and former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley speaks at her election night watch party in Charleston, South Carolina, on February 24, 2024. US President-elect Donald Trump ruled out on November 9, 2024 re-appointing two senior figures from his first administration, ex-secretary of state Mike Pompeo and former UN ambassador Nikki Haley. PHOTO: AFP(FILES) Former CIA Director Mike Pompeo speaks at a campaign rally for former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on November 4, 2024. US President-elect Donald Trump ruled out on November 9, 2024 re-appointing two senior figures from his first administration, ex-secretary of state Mike Pompeo and former UN ambassador Nikki Haley. PHOTO: AFP(FILES) Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump greets his campaign manager Susie Wiles (L) during an election night event at the West Palm Beach Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, on November 6, 2024. US President-elect Donald Trump named his campaign manager, Susie Wiles, as White House chief of staff on November 7, 2024, his first major appointment since winning this week’s election. PHOTO: AFP
