New audio recorded at a private lunch reveals Donald Trump’s thoughts about his potential picks for a running mate in the 2024 election.
The audio, obtained by Axios, was recorded during Mr Trump’s high-profile GOP event at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Saturday.
Mr Trump’s top picks for a running mate include several senators, representatives, governors and former presidential candidates.
However, other expected contenders for Mr Trump’s running mate weren’t discussed at all, according to Axios.
“Somebody that I love,” Mr Trump said of Ms Noem.
However, Mr Trump has reportedly said behind closed doors that he doesn’t trust her.
Since dropping out of the 2024 race in November, Mr Scott has served as Mr Trump’s surrogate.
“[When she ran in 2018] she was like the Energizer Bunny,” Mr Trump said of Ms Blackburn.
Fresh audio captured during a closed-door lunch exposes Donald Trump’s ideas regarding his possible choices for a running mate in the 2024 presidential contest.
The recording, which was acquired by Axios, was made on Saturday during Mr. Trump’s prominent GOP gathering at his Florida Mar-a-Lago resort. Prominent Republican backers as well as his numerous vice presidential aspirants attended. Several senators, congressmen, governors, and past presidential contenders are among Mr. Trump’s top choices for a running mate.
But according to Axios, there was absolutely no discussion of other probable candidates for Mr. Trump’s running mate. Despite attending the event, businessman and previous contender for president in 2024 Vivek Ramaswamy was reportedly left out of the conversation, according to the Axios report.
The audio leak indicates that Kristi Noem, the governor of South Dakota, was acknowledged during the lunch. Given that she has long been expected to be the former president’s running mate, this is not surprising.
Regarding Ms. Noem, Mr. Trump remarked, “Someone that I love.”. She has been by my side and a supporter of mine for a long time, and I have done the same for her. “.
The governor has been Mr. Trump’s longtime ally. During a CNN interview conducted last month, Ms. Noem declined to clarify if, in her role as vice president Mike Pence’s replacement, she would have approved the 2020 election.
She told CNN, “I don’t know how he based his decisions; I wasn’t in his shoes at the time.”.
In 2021, a few weeks following the Capitol riots on January 6, Ms. Noem declined to clarify if Joe Biden won the 2020 election in a fair and democratic manner. But Mr. Biden won the election legitimately, and there is no proof of widespread election fraud in 2020.
The revelation in Ms. Noem’s book No Going Back that she shot her 14-month-old “working dog” Cricket due to his behavior also garnered media attention.
Along with the representatives, Mr. Trump also discussed Elise Stefanik, the chair of the House Republican Conference and a long-time favorite to be his vice president.
Regarding Ms. Stefanik, he described her as “a very smart person.”. “We had no idea she would play such a significant role when I first met her; she was in upstate New York. “.
Ms. Stefanik supported the January 6 rioters, disseminated false allegations of election fraud, voted against certifying the results of the 2020 election, and advocated for legislation that would remove Mr. Trump from the impeachments. Mr. Trump, however, is said to have expressed his lack of trust in her in private.
Not surprisingly, Senator Tim Scott’s name was mentioned on Saturday as well. Following his November withdrawal from the 2024 election, Mr. Scott has acted as Mr. Trump’s stand-in. Someone who advocates on behalf of a candidate while depending on their well-known status to win support is known as a campaign surrogate.
“As a candidate, he performed admirably, but as a surrogate, he’s incredible,” Mr. Trump remarked of the Republican from South Carolina. Regarding the other anticipated competitors, Mr. Trump remained vague.
Mr. Trump stated, “His name is coming up a lot” in reference to Senator Marco Rubio. According to Axios, the former president also praised Utah senator Mike Lee, a Republican, for his haircut.
Additionally, Tennessee senator Marsha Blackburn, a Republican, received a shout-out from Mr. Trump. Gloria Johnson, a Democratic challenger from the House of Representatives, will face her in 2024.
Ms. Blackburn was compared by Mr. Trump to the “Energizer Bunny” during her 2018 campaign. She would alternate between stops. “.
At the Republican National Convention, which will take place in Milwaukee, Wisconsin from July 15–18, Mr. Trump is anticipated to reveal his running mate. The decision to name Mr. Trump as the Republican nominee for president will be decided by the delegates there. But since all of his rivals have withdrawn from the main race, he actually holds the title in an unofficial capacity.
