Haley is open to DeSantis being her vice president but he responds that he will not accept "under any circumstances"

Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley recently suggested the possibility of forming an alliance with current Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and considering him as her running mate to take on former President Donald Trump, who is currently leading as the favorite. However, DeSantis completely ruled out the possibility of teaming up with Haley.

During a joint interview with NBC News and the Des Moines Register, Haley expressed that she could "maybe" accept DeSantis as her vice president should she advance in the race. Although the candidate was confident about the following she has amassed, she acknowledged that she would appreciate joining forces with the governor of Florida.

“If he wants to join forces with me, I welcome that. But right now, we’ve got a race that we feel good about. We’ve got a surge. We’ve got momentum,” she said .

DeSantis reacts to Haley's statements

Shortly after the interview, Ron DeSantis rejected the idea of a possible alliance with Haley and explained that he has no interest in being vice president because he does not believe it is a position in which he can have a greater impact.

"I am not going to accept that under any circumstances (…) I'm running for president because I think we need somebody that can win and get the job done. I would much rather do my final two years as governor than be vice president. I don't think it's a position that offers much. I want to make an impact," he said.

Haley becomes the second Republican contender

According to a poll analysis by FiveThirtyEight, Nikki Haley surpassed Ron DeSantis for the first time after obtaining 11.4% to the governor's 11.3%. This makes the former governor the second most popular Republican option for the 2024 presidential elections. Despite this progress, Donald Trump remains the favorite by far to represent the Republican Party in the next elections.