Former President Donald Trump said Thursday if he doesn’t win the Republican nomination in 2024, his support of the GOP nominee would depend on who it is. Radio host Hugh Hewitt asked Trump for his thoughts on his rumored GOP rival candidates, including former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

“My question to you, Mr. President, if you’re not the nominee, will you support whoever the GOP nominee is?” Hewitt asked Trump.

“It would depend. I would give you the same answer I gave (Fox News anchor Bret Baier) in 2016 during the debates,” Trump responded. “I was asked two rather interesting questions. It would have to depend on who the nominee was.”

Presumably, Trump was referring to the the first 2016 GOP presidential debate where Baier opened with a question to all 10 participating candidates. “Is there anyone on stage, and can I see hands,” Baier asked, “who is unwilling tonight to pledge your support to the eventual nominee of the Republican Party.”

Trump raised his hand in opposition to the proposed pledge and said, “I cannot say. I have to respect the person that, if it’s not me, the person that wins.”

Hewitt asked Trump what he thought of other potential 2024 GOP presidential candidates, including Haley and Pompeo who both served in the Trump administration.

Trump said Haley called him to ask about whether she should run for president. Multiple sources confirmed earlier this week that Haley is planning to announce her campaign for president in February. Currently Trump is the only declared 2024 presidential candidate.

Although Haley previously said she wouldn’t run against her former boss, Trump told her “she should follow her heart.” He added, “she’s a very ambitious person. She just couldn’t stay in her seat. And I said, you know what? Nikki, if you want to run, you go ahead and run.”

Later in the interview, Trump said Haley suffers from being “overly-ambitious.”

When asked about Pompeo, Trump said relatively little. He said Pompeo did a good job as secretary of state and that they got along well.

He also commented on DeSantis, who is considered his main potential GOP rival. “DeSantis got elected because of me,” Trump said, referring to his endorsement of him in the Florida 2018 gubernatorial election. Trump said DeSantis “begged” for the endorsement with “tears coming down from his eyes.”

Trump insisted he is “way ahead” of DeSantis in the polls. However some early primary polls in New Hampshire, South Carolina and Iowa have the Florida governor ahead of Trump.

“Every once in a while, Fox will put up a phony poll, because Fox is not Fox of old,” Trump said. “But I’m way ahead in New Hampshire. I’m way ahead in South Carolina. I’m way ahead in Iowa, and I’m way ahead in the country.”

After discussing a number of geopolitical and domestic policy issues with Hewitt, Trump ended the interview by comparing his 2020 campaign numbers in Florida to DeSantis’ 2022 reelection numbers.

“And by the way, I got 1.2 million more votes than Ron DeSantis,” Trump said. “People don’t know that ... so I think we’re going to have a great campaign.”