From the hallways of the U.S. Capitol, CNN political reporter Manu Raju asked U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) if Nikki Haley is hurting Donald Trump’s presidential campaign by staying in the race. Hawley replied, “Well, I don’t see what it’s helped.” He added, “I don’t see how it helps the party, how it helps the cause.”
[Note: GOP Senators Susan Collins (ME) and Lisa Murkowski (AK) have recently announced their endorsements of Haley.]
As seen in the clip below, Raju also sought a comment from Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA), the fourth-ranking Republican in the Senate, who has yet to announce her presidential endorsement.
When Raju asked, “Have you endorsed Trump yet?”, Ernest replied: “Um, um, um, he hasn’t called,” and continuing to walk down the corridor said with a shrug, “so…”
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On Trump, Hawley says Haley is hurting GOP ability to unite
Ernst not backing Trump yet. “He hasn’t called” pic.twitter.com/O9M2JB9dfX
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) March 3, 2024
This isn’t the first time Ernst has said Trump hasn’t “reached out” to her. In May 2016, political pundits on media outlets (including CNN’s Chris Cillizza) mentioned Ernst as a possible vice presidential running mate for Trump. Shortly after reporting that no one had “reached out” to her, Ernst met with Trump privately at his Bedminster golf club in New Jersey on the Fourth of July.
Two days later, Ernst told Politico: “I made that very clear to him that I’m focused on Iowa. I feel that I have a lot more to do in the United States Senate. And Iowa is where my heart is.” Trump eventually chose Mike Pence of Indiana as his VP candidate.
Note: It was later revealed that in an affidavit filed during her divorce, Ernst stated: “in the summer of 2016, I was interviewed by Candidate Trump to be vice president of the United States. I turned Candidate Trump down, knowing it wasn’t the right thing for me or my family.”