Former President Donald Trump revealed the names he's considering for his 2024 running mate during a Fox News town hall in South Carolina, JustTheNews reported. Trump was in the Palmetto state Tuesday ahead of Saturday's primary, where he's hoping to smite rival Nikki Haley in the GOP primary in her home state.
Host Laura Ingraham presented a list from the in-studio audience of those they hoped might be Trump's pick for vice president. She rattled off the names for Trump's approval.
Among those Republicans named were Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida, former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, and Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina. "Are they all on your shortlist?" Ingraham asked.
Trump responded that "they are" indeed. However, the GOP frontrunner did not mention whether others who were not named are also on that list.
Despite the focus on the issue of who may be his running mate, Trump downplayed the importance of the role. "The VP choice has absolutely no impact," Trump said.
"It's whoever the president is. You would like to get somebody that could help you from the voter standpoint, and honestly, all of those people are good," he said, though he had sung Scott's praises in particular just before her list.
"They're all good. They're all solid," Trump said.
Ingraham reminded Trump that he'd be a "one-term president" since he'd already served. The former president conceded that having someone who could fill his shoes was an important role for the vice president.
Regardless of who Trump chooses as his vice presidential running mate, he will have to get Haley out of the way first. Trump is ahead of her by a considerable margin in the polls and has already clinched four primary wins as they head to Haley's home state, Reuters reported.
Undeterred by the impossibility of achieving any sort of meaningful victory, Haley insisted that she will not drop out of the race. "I feel no need to kiss the ring. And I have no fear of Trump's retribution," she said of her opponent in a speech in Greenville, South Carolina.
"We don't anoint kings in this country. We have elections," Haley added.
"That’s why I refuse to quit. South Carolina will vote on Saturday. But on Sunday, I’ll still be running for president. I’m not going anywhere," Haley promised.
Trump is the favorite to win among Republicans in the 2024 presidential primary. As Trump said, it doesn't seem to matter much who his running mate will be, whether in the primary or general election.
