Former President Donald Trump confirmed six Republicans are on his shortlist for a potential running mate and vice president at a town hall on Monday, including two former opponents and an ex-Democrat.
Trump confirmed Florida Governor and one-time foil Ron DeSantis, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy and Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina are all among the ex-rivals being considered.
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, Florida Republican Byron Donalds and former Democrat Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard are on his list.
A DailyMail.com poll in New Hampshire found Ramasmway is the top choice to be running mate, followed by Scott in second and Tucker Carlson and Ben Carson in joint third.
‘All of those people are good. They’re all solid,’ Trump told Laura Ingraham Monday night.
Former President Donald Trump confirmed six Republicans are on his shortlist for a potential running mate and vice president at a town hall on Monday, including two former opponents and an ex-Democrat
Trump said, however, that deciding on a running mate might not be the biggest decision of his campaign.
‘The one thing that always surprises me is that the VP choice always has no impact,’ he said.
Trump noted that 2008 Republican VP nominee Sarah Palin did have an enormous impact but faced attacks unlike anyone ever had before.
He then attempted to make his case for what qualities he felt his running mate should bring to the ticket.
‘It’s a very important position. You would like to get somebody who could help you from the voters’ standpoint,’ he said but noted he wanted someone with ‘common sense.’
DeSantis became a target of Trump’s notorious mockery during the primary, though the Florida governor dropped out and endorsed him.
Gabbard, who served several terms in the House of Representatives and ran for president in 2020 as a Democrat, has since left the party and become a regular in conservative media.
Scott and Ramaswamy both dropped out of the race after the early contests to endorse Trump.
Trump confirmed Florida Governor and one-time foil Ron DeSantis is among his ex-opponents in the running for the VP nomination
Former Democrat Congresswoman from Hawaii Tulsi Gabbard is also on the former president’s VP list
Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy was praising Trump even when they ran against one another in the primaries
Noem and Donalds have both been staunch allies of the president and were early endorsers in 2024.
In January, DailyMail.com broke down what Trump is looking for in a candidate and who are the top contenders.
The key choice facing Trump will be whether he wants to elevate total loyalty, prowess on the stump, or an ability to appeal to independents and moderates in a closely-divided election.
His prior vice president, Mike Pence, isn’t even in the mix, after Trump blamed him for lacking ‘courage’ on January 6 and his own presidential campaign flamed out.
Trump goosed the gossip when he said at a Fox News town hall in Iowa this month that ‘I know who it’s going to be,’ although comments from aides at the time suggested Trump may have jumped the gun a bit. Now, just a few weeks later, informal advisors are passing on names.
‘I think it would be good for a vice presidential pick to check several boxes: Who helps solidify the base? Who can go into suburban areas and expand support by speaking to these moms in kind compassionate ways?’ Hogan Gidley, a former Trump White House press aide who still consults with the former president told DailyMail.com.
‘Who can take the America first policies that so many people a vast major of people in his country support and not just implement, but continue to grow those out over not the next four years but the next 12?
‘As an added benefit, it would be nice if that person could talk to the press, understand Trump world, understood the president himself, was a fighter, was unflappable.’
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem was also listed as a potential candidate
Sen. Tim Scott could bring stature and diversity to a Trump ticket, but critics accused him of fawning over the candidate when Trump told him he must ‘hate’ Nikki Haley
Rep. Byron Donalds has been a staunch ally of the president and an early endorser in 2024
Advisors are already suggesting names to former President Donald Trump on potential running mates, as he contends with Nikki Haley’s continued challenge following his victories in Iowa and New Hampshire.
Trump must decide whether to prioritize MAGA loyalty or look to expand his appeal on the margins while leading Joe Biden in polls.
Other names DailyMail.com suggested could be candidates: Representative Elise Stefanik of New York, still-running ex-UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, Kari Lake, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Carson and Carlson.
Sen. J.D. Vance, whose ‘Hillbilly Eligy’ helped explain the Trump phenomenon, and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo were also named.
