OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Lara Trump dropped the name of a potential running mate for her former presidential father-in-law during an interview with Newsmax TV that turned a lot of heads.
Lara told host Eric Bolling that former President Donald Trump’s supporters should not rule out him picking his former UN ambassador Nikki Haley to be vice president.
“I think Nikki Haley has to be a little careful in South Carolina. That’s her home state. Probably Donald Trump is going to win in South Carolina, and Nikki Haley’s gonna come in second,” Bolling told Lara Trump at one point during the interview.
When she was asked about a potential Trump-Vivek Ramaswamy ticket in 2024, Lara laughed and said, “There’s a lot of talk about a lot of people. There’s Trump-Tucker Carlson talk, there’s obviously Trump-Vivek talk, there’s– yeah. I thought you were gonna say Trump-Chris Christie talk, which you’d have a better chance of Joe Biden running with Donald Trump than Chris Christie at this point.”
When Bolling asked, “Would he ever pick Nikki Haley?” Lara Trump replied, “Crazier things have happened. I don’t know. I would never say never with Donald J. Trump. Never say never.”
Later, 2022 Arizona GOP gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, who herself is rumored to be on the shortlist for Trump’s VP, responded after Bolling asked: “Is there a job for, say, Nikki Haley in a Trump administration?”
Lake said: “I would guess the sooner she gets out, the more likely that would happen, but I don’t know about that.”
While Lake has been mentioned as a potential running mate of Trump’s, she has actually filed to run for a U.S. Senate seat in Arizona that is currently held by Independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, who has yet to announce whether she’ll seek another term.
If Lara Trump is saying in nationally televised interviews that a Nikki Haley Vice Presidency under Trump is not out of the question, that means it’s being actively discussed.
What are your thoughts on this? pic.twitter.com/MaLwGsPJaU
— Rob Smith (@robsmithonline) December 12, 2023
On Monday, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), who is seen as a supporter of Trump’s America-centric policy agenda, announced he would support Lake ahead of what is expected to be a very closely watched race in a new swing state.
“Kari Lake is the fighter Arizona needs to secure the border, unleash American Energy Independence, and lower the cost of living. Joe Biden’s policies have been a disaster for Arizona and Kari Lake will stand up to the Biden agenda and put Arizonans first. Let’s send Kari to the Senate and take back the majority,” Cotton told Fox News Digital in a statement.
“I am grateful for the endorsement of Sen. Cotton, someone who served our country honorably in the military and has been a conservative warrior in the Senate. I look forward to working with Sen. Cotton to secure our border and get America back on track from Joe Biden and Chuck Schumer’s far-left agenda,” Lake told the outlet.
Rep. Reuben Gallego (D-Ariz.) has also launched a bid for Sinema’s seat.
Fox added: The race is expected to be one of the most closely watched of the 2024 election cycle as Republicans aim for a majority in Congress’ upper chamber, which Democrats currently control by a slim 51-49 margin with the support of Sinema and her fellow independents, Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Angus King of Maine.
All three Senate independents caucus with Democrats and largely vote with them. Sinema won her seat in 2018, defeating Martha McSally, and last year, incumbent Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly handily fended off Trump-backed Blake Masters 51.4 percent to 46.5 percent.
House Republican Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) has also voiced her support for Lake, along with Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.). Lake’s only major challenger for the GOP senatorial nomination is Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb. Trump has also come out in support of Lake.
“Joe Biden’s policies have crushed Arizona. Arizonans are dealing with record inflation – up 20 percent under the Biden administration. Arizona is also on the front lines of the worst illegal immigration crisis in American history. Nearly 8 million illegal immigrants under Biden, equal to the population of Arizona,” Barrasso said in a statement, per Fox News in an October report. “The U.S. Senate needs a Senator from Arizona that understands these issues, and will fight hard to solve them.”
