Trump Hints At VP Selection

Former President Donald Trump indicated that he may announce his vice presidential running mate relatively soon as several candidates appear to be under consideration. The former president’s comment came as his choice for vice president could make a significant impact on the November race.

“I’ll be picking, but probably not too much before the convention, which I happen to be having in the great state of Wisconsin,” Trump said. The Republican National Convention (RNC) is in July.

Trump is reportedly considering Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC). The former president has complimented Scott, saying that he has campaigned harder for him than for Scott himself during his brief run for the White House.

One name that received considerable attention was North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R). Burgum briefly ran for the Republican nomination last year but then endorsed Trump.

Following Burgum’s exit from the race, Trump was complimentary and said that the governor would likely have a prominent role in a second Trump administration.

NEW: Trump VP list is winnowing down to Gov Burgum, Sens Rubio, Vance + Scott. They will appear w/donors at RNC retreat in Palm Beach this weekend. No formal meetings with Trump yet to talk about the job (tho he speaks to all of them regularly): https://t.co/20LrzEEsrP

— Nancy Cook (@nancook) May 2, 2024

The speculation also came less than a week after the former president met with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R).

Several candidates are likely out as potential running mates. First would be former Vice President Mike Pence who announced earlier that he would not be supporting Trump in November.

Second would likely be South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R). Noem has positioned herself as a key Trump ally over the last year but received considerable criticism following the release of excerpts from an upcoming memoir.

According to the governor, she put down a dog that attacked chickens and nipped at her. However, her description of the incident and bringing the dog to a gravel pit for killing received considerable criticism, including from some Republicans.

In addition to the four candidates being discussed of late, two other potential names have been floated in recent months. First would be former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who has reportedly received support from former First Lady Melania Trump.

Second would be Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), who has become one of the loudest defenders of Trump in Congress.