South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley — who recently endorsed Ted Cruz and called Donald Trump "everything a governor doesn't want in a president" — will deliver the keynote address at the Tennessee Republican Party's annual Statesmen's Dinner,
The Greenville News reports.
Haley follows former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who headlined the annual Tennessee GOP fundraiser in 2015, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie who did it in 2014. President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney have also been the keynote speakers at the event.
Haley is "routinely mentioned as a potential 2016 vice presidential candidate for the Republican Party," The Tennessee GOP said in a statement.
She had originally endorsed Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida for president, but this week threw her support behind Cruz after Rubio lost to Trump in his home state and ended his campaign.
Haley first distanced herself from Trump, the Republican presidential front-runner, as she delivered the GOP's State of the Union response earlier this year.
"During anxious times, it can be tempting to follow the siren call of the angriest voices. We must resist that temptation. No one who is willing to work hard, abide by our laws, and love our traditions should ever feel unwelcome in this country," Haley said in a slap at Trump's plan to clamp down on illegal immigrants.
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