Trump spokesman says Haley will 'kiss ass when she quits'

Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung predicted Tuesday that Nikki Haley would “kiss ass” to former President Trump when she “quits” the presidential race.

Haley gave a defiant speech Tuesday declaring she would not drop out of the GOP primary, despite concerns over the low odds that she would beat Trump out for the Republican nomination. Haley said she would remain in the race, no matter what the showing is in her native South Carolina's primary Saturday.

“I feel no need to kiss the ring,” Haley said in the speech. “And I have no fear of Trump’s retribution. I’m not looking for anything from him."

Cheung said she will likely back Trump, however, when the time comes.

“She's going to drop down to kiss ass when she quits, like she always does,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Haley stepped up attacks on Trump as the GOP primary field thinned, hitting the president over his character and personal troubles. She has repeatedly remarked that “chaos” follows Trump, and that the country requires a new, younger conservative is needed to lead it.

She has also vehemently denied rumors that she would be interested in serving as Trump’s vice president, doubling down on the notion Tuesday. Trump himself has also downplayed the rumors.

National polls show Trump with a large lead over Haley for the GOP nomination. Haley trails Trump by 63 points, according to The Hill/Decision Desk HQ average of polls, and she trails Trump in South Carolina by 31 points.