Nikki Haley Hints Trump Is Trying To Steal Election With His RNC Picks

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley hinted Tuesday that Donald Trump is trying to influence this year’s election results by promoting his former campaign adviser and daughter-in-law for top posts at the Republican National Committee.

The former South Carolina governor, who was U.N. ambassador in the Trump Cabinet, made the suggestion a day after Trump endorsed his onetime campaign adviser as the next chair of the RNC and his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, as co-chair.

“Think about what’s happening right now,” Haley said at a campaign event in her hometown of Bamberg, South Carolina. “Is that how you’re going to try and take an election?”

Lara Trump, who’s married to Eric Trump, and Whatley aresupportersof the former president’s baseless conspiracy theory that the 2020 election was stolen from him.

Longtime RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel is reportedly stepping down under pressure from Trump, who’s publicly said he wants a change in party leadership. But when reached for comment last week, an RNC spokesperson said: “Nothing has changed. This will be decided after South Carolina.”

Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung called out Haley’s comments in a statement to NBC News.

“Nikki ‘Braindead Birdbrain’ Haley reeks of desperation as it’s clear she knows she has no shot, and is now auditioning for a cable news contract when her 15 minutes are over,” Cheung said. “But not before she can squeeze every last dollar out of her Democrat benefactors.”

Some historically Democratic donors have been givingmoney to Haley’s campaign in an effort to keep Trump out of the White House. However, Trump has maintained his strong lead over Haley, polling nearly 76% to her 17%. He even has a commanding lead over her in her home state of South Carolina, which will hold its GOP primary on Feb. 24.

Haley has expressed frustration with Republican leadership, accusing the party of having a clear bias toward Trump. Last week she called the Nevada caucus a “scam” that the Republicans rigged for Trump, after the party refused to participate in the state-sanctioned primary and instead held a separate caucus, which was the only contest that awarded delegates. Haley chose to participate in the state’s primary while Trump stuck to the caucus, which required a $55,000 entrance fee.

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