White House President-elect Donald Trump confirmed  that former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will be a part of his new administration. A post from Trump’s Truth Social Account read, “I will not be inviting former Ambassador Nikki Haley, or former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, to join the Trump Administration, currently in formation,”

Trump further thanked both the officials for their previous service to the country, stating, “I very much enjoyed and appreciated working with them previously.”

Who Is Nikki Haley?

Nikki Haley, Ex-South Carolina Governor and Donald Trump’s challenger in the GOP primary, previously offered her “strong endorsement” to Trump. “I’m here tonight to save the country, and a unified Republican Party is essential for saving her,” Haley said.

“My message to them is simple: You don’t have to agree with Trump 100% of the time to vote for him,” she said. 

Haley had been one of the most vocal Trump critics in her GOP primary campaign. According to the New York Post, she softened her criticism in the final days of the election, stating Trump is ‘clearly a better choice’ than Kamala Harris.

Who Is Mike Pompeo?

Mike Pompeo, who served as CIA Director under Trump’s administration, was reportedly one of the contenders for the position of Secretary of Defense. Due to a lack of involvement in special counsel Jack Smith’s investigations into Trump, he faced criticism from republicans. Pompeo had initially considered running for the US presidential election in 2024 but opted out of the race in April 2023. On Friday, Republican strategist Roger Stone had cautioned Trump against Pompeo because of loyalty issues.

Trump’s Key Appointments

As Trump continues selecting appointees in his administration, he has named real estate investor and campaign donor Steve Witkoff, and former Senator Kelly Loeffler, to serve as co-chairs of the 2025 presidential inauguration.