In a surprising development within American politics, the campaign team of former U.S. President Donald Trump is considering Nikki Haley, the former governor of South Carolina, as his running mate in the upcoming presidential elections. This option may represent an attempt to unify the Republican Party and attract moderate voters, according to sources cited by Axios. Despite abandoning her presidential ambitions two months ago, Haley still enjoys a strong support base in the Republican primaries, reflecting a persistent reluctance among many Republicans to support Trump as the party's nominee.
In his recent victory over Haley in Indiana on Tuesday, Trump garnered 460,000 votes, yet only secured 78% of the support, a disappointing tally for a former president perceived primarily as holding the position.
In Marion County, which includes Indianapolis and is the most densely populated area in the state, Haley won 35% of the votes—a particularly troubling outcome for Trump, especially considering his opponent withdrew after the "Super Tuesday" primaries on March 5, indicating that Trump must confront the "zombie votes" loyal to Haley.
Kivan Shroff, a strategic expert from Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign, commented, "It’s hard to imagine that Republican voters in Indianapolis are this enthusiastic about Haley not running." He added, "The more likely scenario is that this indicates a protest vote against Trump. These voters want to make it clear that they are dissatisfied with the Republican nominee, and they are essentially shaming Trump in these primaries to prove it."
While these implications are likely to be dismissed, the insistence on voting for Haley has led many U.S. media outlets to refer to her continuing presence in the primaries, long after the curtains have fallen, as a "zombie campaign." The 77-year-old former president has not endorsed her and informed his supporters after her withdrawal that "it is now up to Donald Trump to win the votes of those in our party and outside of it who have not supported him."
