Donald Trump has said his “short list” of vice presidential picks includes South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, former Democratic Congresswoman and presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard, Senator Tim Scott, and Congressman Byron Donalds.
We thought it would be worth analyzing each.
Looking at the Candidates
Kristi Noem
Last year, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem endorsed Trump at a party fundraiser, causing observers to wonder if she was interested in becoming his running mate.
Trump defined Noem as “one of the most successful governors in the entire nation” and said her endorsement “means a lot.”
Before becoming governor, Noem was in Congress. In 2011 she made waves by supporting former Democratic Congressman’s antiwar bill on Libya.
The Hill reported, “On Friday (Kucinich’s) measure earned votes not only from traditional intervention skeptics like Reps. Ron Paul (Tex.) and Walter Jones (N.C.), but it also won over conservative hard-liner Rep. Michele Bachmann (Minn.) and the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, Rep. Dave Camp (Mich.). Dozens of freshman Republicans supported Kucinich, including class president Rep. Austin Scott (Ga.) and two representatives on the leadership team, Reps. Kristi Noem (S.D.) and Tim Scott (S.C.).”
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Tim Scott
Tim Scott is a long-time outspoken Trump ally and the senator is beloved by most conservatives.
He ran for president against Trump and other candidates before dropping out in November. Scott has said he is open to being Trump’s running mate if selected.
“This nation hungers for some constant projection of a better future, and that trajectory happens with President Trump in office,” Scott recently said.
As a black Republican, Scott has also praised Trump’s criminal justice reform legislation, the First Step Act.
At a recent South Carolina event, Trump motioned toward Scott and said, “A lot of people are talking about that gentleman right over there.”
“I have to say, this is in a very positive way. Tim Scott, he has been much better for me than he was for himself,” Trump said. “I watched his campaign, and he doesn’t like talking about himself, but boy, does he talk about Trump.”
Vivek Ramaswamy
Trump has suggested entrepreneur and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy would be a “very good” potential vice presidential pick.
Like Scott, Ramaswamy also competed in the 2024 Republican primary before dropping out and endorsing Trump.
At only 38-years-old, he was the youngest GOP candidate. When asked about Trump during his campaign, Ramaswamy said, “I think Trump was an excellent president.”
Ramaswamy also emphasized Trump’s signature ‘America First’ slogan during his run.
Tulsi Gabbard
Tulsi Gabbard is a former Democratic congresswoman who also ran for president in the Democratic primary in 2020.
Gabbard served her district in Hawaii beginning in 2013. Now that she has retired, she has increasingly trended rightward, left the Democratic Party, and most recently accused her former party of “stoking anti-white racism” and said that it is also “hostile to people of faith and spirituality,”
Gabbard has said she would be supporting candidates that are in line with Trump in the 2024 election.
Byron Donalds
Congressman Byron Donalds of Florida is a vocal Trump supporter. So much so that in the 2024 primary, he supported Trump over his own state’s governor, Ron DeSantis.
Donalds has said he would accept an invitation to be Trump’s running mate, adding that “it’s really up to the president.”
Donalds describes himself as a “Trump-supporting, liberty-loving, pro-life, pro-2nd Amendment Black man.”
He is also popular with conservatives.
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Who will be Donald Trump’s pick? Only he and perhaps a select few others know.
But he’s starting with a strong shortlist.
