Look up the Lt . Governor of South Carolina and you will see why he tapped Nikki . Nikki was a governor that criticized him and may have tried to block his agenda . He gave her a useless role which accomplished 3 things . 1 . Stripped a harsh critic of him of any relevant power by essentially removing her from the governorship . 2 . Put a staunch Trump loyalist who will back his agenda into a powerful position by making them governor of South Carolina . As the election is in two years he will also be an incumbent , and his chances for reelection will be higher than otherwise . 3 . Made it look as if he ' s willing to work with those who were harsh to him , making it seem like he is gracious an doesn ' t hold grudges . In one swoop he removed a possible enemy , instated an ally into a position of power , and looked good while doing so .