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Reports Speculate Stefanik May Be Trump’s ’24 Running Mate

Photo of Martin Walsh Martin WalshSeptember 20, 2022
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OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.

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With speculation ripe that former President Donald Trump will run for president in 2024, rumors are beginning to surface about who he may choose as his possible running mate.

In a recent interview with NDTV, Trump was asked if Ivanka Trump, his eldest daughter, would be his running mate.

He quickly denied it, saying, “Ivanka? My daughter? Never thought of that one. I’ve never even heard, but that’s an interesting idea. But she’s a very capable person that I can tell you. But no, I have not heard that one.”

When asked if he would consider it, Trump shot it down again by saying: “No, I wouldn’t. Not my daughter.”

Ivanka is a “no-go” and so is former Vice President Mike Pence, apparently.

During an interview with Peter Baker and Susan Glasser — who co-wrote the new book The Divider: Trump in the White House, 2017-2021 — Trump said will not pick Pence as his running mate if he runs for the presidency again.

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“It would be totally inappropriate. Mike committed political suicide,” Trump said.

If Trump decides to run again, the media narrative thus far is that he will likely select a female running mate.

Back in late May, CNN published a report speculating that New York Rep. Elise Stefanik is likely a frontrunner.

While talk about a 2024 vice-presidential pick is of course premature, conversations about adding Stefanik to a future Trump ticket have gained steam in recent weeks at Mar-a-Lago and in other Republican circles, sources said. Current and former advisers and others in Trump’s orbit have privately argued that the New York Republican, who replaced Rep. Liz Cheney as the no. 3 House Republican last year, is a fierce and loyal attack dog, and Trump would benefit from tapping a woman for vice president should he run again.

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Two people familiar with the matter said Trump has been surveying close friends and allies on what they think of Stefanik, one of several Republican women he is possibly eyeing for the potential VP slot, though he has not ruled out a few male contenders, too. One of these people said the former President believes Stefanik has undergone a genuine transformation – leaving the moderate wing of the party to join its increasingly powerful “America First” flank.

“There is a part of Trump who thinks he needs a female VP. He definitely likes her, likely because of how effusive she is to him,” an adviser to the former president said.

“President Trump thinks very highly of Elise Stefanik. … She has been talked about in circles close to him as a potential vice president,” Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy said. “And there’s a feeling among a lot of people on the Republican side that they need to have a woman on the ticket this time.”

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Another name floated in the media is South Dakota GOP Gov. Kristi Noem.

However, Noem said in July that she would be “shocked” if Trump asked her to be his running mate, assuming he runs for president again.

“I think that there’s a lot of people out there who would like his running mate. I’m focused on getting reelected,” Noem told CNN’s co-anchor Dana Bash.

“I don’t operate in that hypothetical either,” Noem continued. “I would be shocked if he asked. And right now, I’m just so focused on South Dakota. We’re doing great things, and we’ve got a lot more to do the next four years.”

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Photo of Martin Walsh Martin WalshSeptember 20, 2022