Shortly after South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) gave the Republican response to the State of the Union, she received a phone call from former President George H.W. Bush and his wife, Barbara.
"President and Mrs. Bush called to tell the governor they appreciated her speech and they ended up talking about the family’s South Carolina roots, and their shared love of our state," Haley spokeswoman Chaney Adams told the Post and Courier.
The call came at an important time for former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who is struggling in the race for the GOP presidential nomination. Haley has yet to endorse a presidential candidate, and her state's primary is just a month away.
Adams said there was no discussion of a possible spot for Haley on the presidential ticket during her phone call with the Bushes. Haley has long been discussed as a potential vice presidential candidate and has said she'd be open to the role.
Bush is trailing significantly in South Carolina, according to an average by HuffPost Pollster of publicly available polling.
He recently picked up the endorsement of Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who dropped his own presidential bid in December.
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