Discussions underway between Trump's campaign and Nikki Haley, exploring her potential participation in campaign events, aimed at reducing the gender divide with Kamala Harris.
No concrete plans have been set, but talks have revolved around a potential collaboration at a Fox News town hall in late October, according to insiders.
This scenario was initially brought up by The Bulwark.
Trump has hosted a series of town halls guided by prominent Republican females, such as Govs. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Kristi Noem. However, Republican strategists admit that Haley might appeal to a distinct group of voters.
“The gender gap is evident,” one insider close to Trump told CNN. “Haley attracts a different type of voter. She receives positive media coverage and resonates with women who are uncertain about Trump.”
“Republican candidates have been encountering difficulties with women, and that includes Trump,” another GOP strategist shared with CNN. “Haley aids in this aspect.”
Trump's senior consultants privately acknowledge that certain women voters might not particularly like him as an individual or his rhetoric, yet they think he could win their favor with his policies.
The campaign has also been promoting Haley's endorsement of Trump in crucial states. A billboard recently positioned in the Milwaukee suburbs read: “Endorsed by Nikki Haley.”
Haley, Trump's former GOP primary rival, endorsed the ex-president at the Republican National Convention in July, securing a prime-time speaking slot after substantial backlash from a section of the party.
Since then, she has persistently emphasized her disagreements with Trump and has reprimanded his rhetoric and personal attacks on Vice President Kamala Harris. However, lately, Haley provided vocal support for the ex-president in a robocall to voters. In that call, she acknowledged that she doesn't agree with the ex-president “100% of the time” but argued that he is the superior candidate.
She has yet to appear alongside Trump during his campaign rallies.
The discussions on utilizing Haley during the campaign trail follow Trump's former United Nations ambassador's harsh criticism of the ex-president during her primary campaign while presenting herself as a more moderate option inside the GOP.
When asked during a Fox News interview on Friday if he anticipates recruiting more women to his campaign trail – such as his wife and daughter, Melania and Ivanka Trump – to assist him in appealing to female voters, Trump said, “I think I perform well with women. And I believe it's all nonsense. I see the polls, and we perform well.”
When specifically asked about potentially incorporating Haley into his campaign trail, Trump said, “I'll do whatever I must do.”
He then diverted attention to his dominance over the GOP primary field, stating, “But let me tell you, Nikki Haley and I clashed, and I defeated her by 50, 60, 90 points. I defeated her in her own state by numbers that nobody's ever beaten by.”
He added that while “everybody keeps saying” Haley should campaign for him, no one advises him to ask Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to campaign for him.
“I like Nikki ... Nikki, I don't think should have done what she did, and that's fine that she did it,” he said, before again emphasizing his defeat of Haley in the primary and adding, “They say, ‘Oh when is Nikki coming back in?’ Nikki is in. Nikki is already helping us.”
However, Trump and his campaign have recently aimed to attract female voters, including hosting a Fox News town hall with all female voters in Georgia earlier in the week.
Senior advisers also hoped that the endorsement from Robert Kennedy Jr., who has been campaigning for Trump, could help with the female demographic – particularly conservative-leaning mothers. Women were more inclined to support Kennedy than men, as per a recent Pew Research Center survey. Though other polls have not displayed a significant difference.
The discussions about collaborating with Haley for a town hall event underscore the Republican Party's struggles with appealing to women voters. Despite her criticisms and disagreements with Trump, Haley recently provided vocal support for him in a robocall to voters.
Haley's endorsement of Trump in crucial states and her recent robocall could potentially help the former president win favor among certain groups of female voters, as suggested by the Pew Research Center survey demonstrating a positive shift towards Kennedy among conservative-leaning mothers.
