Haley Hints Trump Is Trying To Steal Election With RNC Picks

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley hinted Tuesday that Donald Trump is trying to influence this years 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 whats happening right now, Haley said at a campaign event in her hometown of Bamberg, South Carolina. Is that how youre going to try and take an election?

Lara Trump, whos married to Eric Trump, and Whatley are supporters of the former presidents baseless conspiracy theory that the 2020 election was stolen from him.

Longtime RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel is reportedly stepping down under pressure from Trump, whos 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 Haleys comments in a statement to NBC News.

Nikki Braindead Birdbrain Haley reeks of desperation as its 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 giving money to Haleys 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.

Your Support Has Never Been More Critical

Other news outlets have retreated behind paywalls. At HuffPost, we believe journalism should be free for everyone.

Would you help us provide essential information to our readers during this critical time? We can't do it without you.

Can't afford to contribute? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.

You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you.

Whether you give once or many more times, we appreciate your contribution to keeping our journalism free for all.

Whether you give just one more time or sign up again to contribute regularly, we appreciate you playing a part in keeping our journalism free for all.

Support HuffPost

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 states primary while Trump stuck to the caucus, which required a $55,000 entrance fee.