Washington DC : US President-elect Donald Trump has said he would not invite former Ambassador Nikki Haley or former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to join his incoming administration, despite Haley's endorsement during his campaign.
This comes after criticism of Pompeo by Trump's supporters for not being supportive enough during the campaign. Trump expressed appreciation for their past service but stated his administration's team would not include them.
"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," Trump said on his Truth Social site on Saturday (local time).
"I very much enjoyed and appreciated working with them previously, and would like to thank them for their service to our Country. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!" he added.
Trump has announced the formation of an inaugural committee, which would plan and celebrate his inauguration on January 20, 2025.
"President Donald Trump, the 45th and 47th President of the United States, today announced the formation of Trump Vance Inaugural Committee, Inc., a 501(c)(4) organization that will plan inaugural events. The work done by this official entity will be Co-Chaired by longtime friends and supporters of President Trump, Steve Witkoff and Senator Kelly Loeffler," Trump said in a statement on Saturday (local time).
Former US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer was also not asked by Trump to return, contrary to a Financial Times report, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.
Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina Governor, who was Trump's final challenger in the GOP primary, had endorsed Trump.
Haley offered her "strong endorsement" to Trump, and said the choice should be clear in November. "I'm here tonight because we have a country to save, and a unified Republican Party is essential for saving her," Haley said. "My message to them is simple: You don't have to agree with Trump 100 per cent of the time to vote for him," she said.