Nikki Haley suggests Trump is aiming to 'take' the election by promoting his daughter-in-law for RNC leadership

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley suggested Tuesday that former President Donald Trump is trying to "take" the 2024 election by promoting a former adviser, a current campaign adviser and his daughter-in-law to top GOP leadership posts.

"Now he has decided he has fired the RNC chair," Haley said at an event Tuesday morning in her hometown of Bamberg, South Carolina, referring to Trump's endorsement of a successor to Ronna McDaniel as chair of the Republican National Committee if she decides to step down in the coming days. "He's named who's going to be the new RNC chair. His daughter-in-law will be the co-chair, and he is making his campaign manager the officer that runs the party."

"Think about what’s happening right now," she continued. "Is that how you’re going to try and take an election?"

At a separate event later in the day, Haley said Trump is going to "try and continue to take the party so that it does what he wants it to do."

Asked for comment Tuesday, Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung told NBC News, "Nikki ‘Braindead Birdbrain’ Haley reeks of desperation as it’s clear she knows she has no shot, and is now auditioning for a cable news contract when her 15 minutes are over. But not before she can squeeze every last dollar out of her Democrat benefactors."

NBC News has reached out to Haley's team for further comment on her remarks.

In a statement Monday, Trump endorsed Michael Whatley to be the next head of the Republican National Committee and said he supports his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, for co-chair.

“I think my friend Michael Whatley should be the RNC’s next leader,” Trump said, adding that Whatley “has been with me from the beginning, has done a great job in his home state of North