The presidential primary season is now over, and there’s no doubt that the former President managed to secure the Republican nomination a third time. Now, the question is: who will be “by his side”?
What names should we expect to see on his Vice President shortlist, and what are the main qualities he’s looking for in a running mate? Back in February, as the primaries were still undergoing, Trump mentioned that he wouldn’t announce his decision for a while.
He also added that he was looking for someone who is capable of being a good president and even told Maria Bartiromo, a Fox News journalist, that he had been talking to a series of people, mentioning South Carolina Senator Tim Scott and South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem.
Back in January, he also said that he knew who his future running mate would be without offering any further details. In all fairness, most candidates decide not to announce a running mate until the official nominating conventions are held in the summer.
That’s probably why Trump is expected to follow this rule as well. Moreover, sources that are in close contact with his campaign declared that they highly advised Trump to withhold announcing the nomination until the convention.
It’s a strategy to build suspense and increase the overall leverage over candidates who wish to secure the spot. As it turns out, some potential candidates within Trump’s orbit were already featured on the campaign trail with the former president. Today, we are going to mention seven of them.
New York Representative Elise Stefanik
New York Representative Elise Stefanik is by far one of Donald Trump’s fiercest defenders. She is the fourth House Republican and one of the first members of Congress to endorse Trump when he decided to announce his third bid for the White House.
Elise Stefanik is thirty-nine years old, which is pretty much half the age of Trump, who’s 77 years old. She is seen as a prominent figure who would carry the torch for the MAGA movement he initiated.
She also fought for Trump on many different occasions as a key member of his impeachment defense team in 2019. Back in January, she backed Trump’s characterization of jailed January 6 defendants as “hostages,” filing a series of ethics complaints against judges in various cases that involved the former president.
Moreover, she was among the 147 Republicans who voted against certifying the 2020 election results. Sources even tell CBS News that Trump saw Stefanik as a potential running mate.
When he was asked whether she would serve as his vice president, she told NBC News’ “Meet the Press” that it would be a great honor for her to serve in any capacity in a Trump administration.
South Carolina Senator Tim Scott
The South Carolina senator dodged a series of questions about being Trump’s vice president when he decided to run for president.
He even dropped his bid for the White House back in November, deciding to endorse the former president right before the New Hampshire primary in a blow to fellow South Carolinian and former Governor Nikki Haley, who even appointed him to a rather vacant U.S. Senate seat.
But here’s the best part: as it turns out, Trump called Scott and told him, “You are a much better candidate for me than you are for yourself.” Later on, Scott told a crowd of Trump supporters that we all need a president who will unite our country, which is Donald Trump.
He also received praise for being a “man of faith, courage, and conviction, a man who fought for those opportunities like no one else and also took care of the historically black colleges.”
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem
Noem has been quite loyal to Trump and has long been mentioned as a great vice presidential candidate. Coming from the red state of South Dakota, Noem wanted to be a be a candidate for the 2024 presidential run but decided to drop it when Trump announced he would run again. ”
If President Trump runs, I will support him,” Noem declared to CBS News’ Major Garrett in 2022. She managed to rise to prominence in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic when she refused to implement strict mask mandates in South Dakota.
She was also one of the first governors to decide to endorse Trump, announcing that she would back him at a rally last September, where she campaigned for him many times in Iowa before the January caucuses.
North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum
North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, another 2024 presidential candidate who dropped the bid, has also been mentioned in the Trump campaign as a potential running mate.
Burgum was one of the first to decide to officially endorse Trump, joining him for a rally in Indianola, Iowa, on January 14. As it turns out, the Trump team is very fond of Burgum, who refrained from saying anything bad about the former president when he wanted to run.
Burgum is considered to be quite a solid conservative with plenty of credentials that might make him a good fit for different cabinet positions, such as that of vice president.
Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders
The former Trump administration official and the current governor of Arkansas is another young conservative that’s being considered by Trump for the vice president ticket.
Sanders, who is 41, is yet the youngest governor in the country. She is also seen as a rising star in the party and could represent all the suburban women in America.
Last year, Sanders decided to officially endorse Trump during a campaign rally in Hialeah, Florida, back in November 2023. However, Sanders completely dismissed the prospect of serving as vice president.
When she was asked by “Face the Nation” moderator Margaret Brennan if she would say yes to joining the Trump ticket, Governor Sanders declared that she is “honored to serve as governor, and I hope I get to do it for the next seven years.”
Former HUD Secretary, Dr. Ben Carson
Carson is a renowned neurosurgeon and the former secretary of Housing and Urban Development, but he was also one of the longest-serving cabinet secretaries during Trump’s administration.
Carson stayed loyal to the former president after the January 6 incident, when many cabinet secretaries presented their resignations as a form of protest. Carson ran against Trump in the 2016 presidential primary, and he campaigned for the former president in Iowa before the caucuses.
Carson, a fierce Christian, filled a church with Trump supporters, advising them to look less at his words and more at what he managed to accomplish when they voted for him.
Florida Senator Marco Rubio
The senior senator from Florida, and also the former 2016 presidential rival to the former president, is also being considered as a potential running mate in 2024.
Rubio is the son of two Cuban immigrants, and he is also seen as someone who might help the campaign appeal to other Latino voters. Rubio decided to endorse the former president right before the Iowa caucuses in a post on social media.
He referenced working with Trump on the expanded Child Tax Credit and actions in Venezuela and Cuba while he was president. Moreover, this isn’t the first time he has been seen on the short list of vice president options.
The Florida Senator was also considered along with Utah Senator Mitt Romney, the 2012 GOP nominee. However, Romney ended up with Wisconsin Governor Representative Paul Ryan in their failed White House bid.
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