Although former President Donald Trump indicated during a Fox News Channel town hall event last month that he had already made up his mind about a running mate, he revealed in a more recent interview with the network that the selection process remains underway.
He told interviewer Maria Bartiromo that there were “a lot of good people” being considered for the position, but stressed that he did not feel pressure to make an announcement any time soon.
Donald Trump tells Maria Bartiromo the ‘one thing’ required of his running mate pic.twitter.com/OMnsl2wgWL
— Julianna (@JuliannaFrieman) February 4, 2024
“I have a lot of good ideas, but I haven’t [decided],” he said. “And there’s no reason to do that quickly.”
The Republican presidential primary front-runner did, however, mention two names that are apparently near the top of his short list of possible running mates.
Trump began by praising U.S. Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), a former primary rival who endorsed the former president shortly after suspending his own campaign.
“I speak to everybody,” Trump said. “I called Tim Scott … and I said, ‘You’re a much better candidate for me than you are for yourself.’”
He critiqued Scott’s presidential bid as “very low-key” but said that the senator has been more energetic since dropping out of the race and hitting the campaign trail on his behalf.
“I watched him in the last week defending me and sticking up for me and fighting for me,”
Trump added. “I said, ‘Man.’ I said, ‘You’re a much better person for me than you are for yourself.’ Because for himself, he was low-key. For me, he’s been a real tiger. He’s been incredible.”
Of course, Trump went on to note that while Scott “could be” his vice presidential pick, there are other candidates in the running — including the governor of South Dakota.
“Kristi Noem has been incredible fighting for me,” he concluded. “She said, ‘I’d never run against him because I can’t beat him.’ That was a very nice thing to say.”
Trump has previously downplayed the importance of a running mate as part of his strategy to secure a second term in the White House.
“It’s never really had that much of an effect on an election,” he said last month.
