Donald Trump’s next running mate could be a woman. The former president opened up to newly minted “Meet the Press” host Kristen Welker that he likes the idea. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake have been mentioned. Lake is beloved by members of Trump’s MAGA movement and has become a fixture at Mar-a-Lago.
“Are you leaning toward a woman?” Welker asked in an interview Thursday.
“I like the concept, but we’re going to pick the best person,” Trump replied. “But I do like the concept, yes.”
S.D. Gov. Kristi Noem a Possible Running Mate
Trump’s recent campaign stop in South Dakota, a state that has been solidly Republican since LBJ won there in 1964, has raised questions as to whether Noem might end up as his Number Two pick for 2024.
Noem endorsed him during a stop in Rapid City.
“I will do everything I can to help him win and save this country,” Noem said.
Trump told Welker that Noem definitely would be on his short list because of her “full and complete” endorsement that he called “beautiful.”
“I do. I think she’s fantastic … But we … have a lot of great people in the Republican Party,” Trump said.
Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene and his former press secretary, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, also have been mentioned as possible Trump running mates.
Noem recently told Newsmax that “Trump needs a strong partner if he’s going to take back the White House.”
She continued saying, “He’s going to need somebody who knows what it’s like to run a business, to be an employee, earn a paycheck, but also having a wife, mom, and grandma isn’t bad either.”
Trump Needs Female Running Mate Who Contrasts with Kamala Harris
Any woman who runs with Trump will invite comparisons with the incumbent vice president, Kamala Harris, who has proven to be a drag on Joe Biden’s re-election chances. Trump is not a spring chicken either; consequently, he would need a running mate who could step into the role, should his health intervene. If he were to pull out a miracle and beat Biden he would be 82 years old in January 2029 when he would leave office.
“Some of the greatest world leaders have been in their 80s,” Trump told NBC. “I’m not anywhere very near 80, by the way.
“And Biden’s not too old,” Trump added. “But I think he’s incompetent, and that’s a bigger problem.”
Trump is not terribly worried about his own age.
“I like not to think too much about that. You always do a little bit, but I really don’t think it’s time. I want to win. And, you know, it’s very interesting about running mates. When you get down to a vice president, they said, ‘Nobody’s ever made that kind of a difference. It’s still about the person that’s going to be president,’” Trump said.
Trump Likely to Look for Running Mate with Less of a Personality
People normally do not vote for the bottom of the ticket in the general election. Should Trump choose someone like Kari Lake or Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene as his vice presidential running mate their Trumpiness could prove difficult for him.
He likely would go for a female version of Mike Pence, someone who is unassuming and who would stay on message as his attack dog. Lake and Greene likely would steal a lot of Trump’s thunder, which would make someone like Noem or even current presidential contender and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley likely choices.
Neither would overshadow Trump; however, both women would complement Trump’s flaws.
John Rossomando is a defense and counterterrorism analyst and served as Senior Analyst for Counterterrorism at The Investigative Project on Terrorism for eight years. His work has been featured in numerous publications such as The American Thinker, The National Interest, National Review Online, Daily Wire, Red Alert Politics, CNSNews.com, The Daily Caller, Human Events, Newsmax, The American Spectator, TownHall.com, and Crisis Magazine. He also served as senior managing editor of The Bulletin, a 100,000-circulation daily newspaper in Philadelphia, and received the Pennsylvania Associated Press Managing Editors first-place award for his reporting.
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