President-elect Donald Trump announced that Nikki Haley, who served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations in his first term and ran against him for the Republican nomination in 2020, will not be invited to join his administration. He also stated that Mike Pompeo, who served as secretary of state and CIA director in Trump’s first term, would not be rejoining his Cabinet. Trump thanked both Haley and Pompeo for their previous service to the country but did not extend an invitation for them to be a part of his administration currently in formation.
Sources familiar with the process had mentioned that Pompeo was being discussed as a possible contender for secretary of defense. Haley, a former governor of South Carolina, endorsed Sen. Marco Rubio in the 2016 Republican nomination race. Despite this, Trump selected her to be his U.N. ambassador, a position she held until her resignation in 2018. Haley then ran for president in 2020 against Trump, eventually suspending her campaign after Super Tuesday. She endorsed Trump later in the year, indicating a show of unity within the Republican Party.
In an interview with CBS News’ “Face the Nation” in September, Haley expressed that she did not agree with Trump on everything but believed that Americans would benefit from his policies on immigration, law and order, economy, and national security. Pompeo, who also endorsed Trump at the Republican National Convention, served throughout Trump’s first administration and opted not to run against him in 2024. Trump recently announced Susie Wiles, his campaign co-chair, as his White House chief of staff, making her the first woman to hold that position in history. This marks his first major White House staffing decision following his election victory over Vice President Kamala Harris.
Kathryn Watson, Melissa Quinn, Caitlin Yilek, James LaPorta, and Robert Costa all contributed to this report on Trump’s decision not to invite Haley and Pompeo to join his administration. Faris Tanyos, a news editor for CBSNews.com, wrote and edited the story, tracking breaking news as it unfolded. Tanyos previously worked as a digital news producer at various local news stations along the West Coast, gaining experience in reporting and storytelling. The developments regarding Haley and Pompeo not being included in Trump’s administration add to the ongoing changes and decisions taking place in the transition period between presidential terms.
