OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
A recent major poll suggests that former President Donald Trump will likely secure the GOP nomination for the 2024 election unless any unexpected developments occur. However, a crucial question arises as to who Trump will choose as his running mate, in case he secures the nomination.
As per a report by The Messenger, which interviewed twelve prominent Republicans, including some of Trump’s advisors, the list of potential running mates for Trump in 2024 has been narrowed down to a few select candidates.
There have been rumors that Trump is interested in a female candidate for vice president and running mate, and it may be down to two high profile names — South Dakota Republican Gov. Kristi Noem and House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik.
Governor Noem, a well-known Republican who has endorsed President Trump, has been increasingly mentioned in recent reports as someone who is favored by Trump. During an interview with Real America’s Voice streaming network earlier this month, Noem discussed various topics, including the possibility of being chosen as Trump’s running mate.
“Well, there’s a lot of people they’re talking about for vice president… I have long supported President Trump; he had his priorities right when he was leading this country,” Noem said.
Noem endorsed Trump during a campaign rally in her state in September, CNN reported, “fueling speculation about the role the Republican governor may play in his third bid for the White House.”
“I think she’s fantastic,” Trump said in an interview in mid-September about her. “She’s been a great governor. She gave me a very full-throated endorsement—a beautiful endorsement, actually. It’s been a very good state for me, and certainly, she would be one of the people I would consider, or for something else, maybe. We have a lot of great people in the Republican Party.”
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem said Trump’s VP pick should tell him like it is. When asked if she fits the bill she said she’s been honest with the president since the beginning. pic.twitter.com/gkxK4DpwK2
— Jake Traylor (@jake__traylor) January 4, 2024
I’ve known @realdonaldtrump for years.
From working together on tax cuts and trade agreements, to celebrating our Freedom with fireworks at Mount Rushmore, President Trump has always fought for the American people. 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/tJIZZkCxEO
— Kristi Noem (@KristiNoem) January 9, 2024
Stefanik, another ardent supporter of Trump, has become the fourth-most powerful Republican in the chamber in short order after the GOP conference ousted Trump critic and now-former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyoming) last year.
Last month, Stefanik (R-N.Y.) ripped Manhattan Superior Court Judge Arthur Engoron, who is presiding over the former president’s civil fraud trial in New York, alleging “inappropriate bias and judicial intemperance” in a letter to the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct.
Stefanik wrote that Judge Engoron’s “bizarre behavior has no place in our judicial system, where Judge Engoron is not honoring the defendant’s rights to due process and a fair trial,” adding that Trump’s position as the front-runner in the 2024 GOP presidential primary amplifies those “serious concerns.”
Elise Stefanik defends President Trump:
“Our border crisis is poisoning people through fentanyl. And you know why? Because of Joe Biden’s wide-open border. I stand by President Trump.” pic.twitter.com/L1fLrlfSns
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) January 7, 2024
In an interview with NBC News late last year, Trump himself stressed that while he was “going to choose the best person” as his VP pick, he “liked the concept” of a woman as his running mate.
The choice will be “difficult” as the former president’s “personal needs will dominate” the selection process, according to The Miami Herald’s Robert Pawlicki.
Despite Pawlicki’s prediction that Trump’s nominee will “likely will be a woman — and rabidly loyal,” she excluded candidates who were already “on the Republican presidential debate stage” and instead put out Noem and 2022 Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake as respectful enough choices.
Noem has stated that she’s open to the opportunity and her name continues to be pushed.
For its part, the Trump campaign said in a statement that for now, the 45th president is “solely focused on winning the Republican nomination” and nothing more.
