GOP Governor of South Dakota Kristi Noem shared her opinions on the 2024 Republican field of contenders and on whether she would accept an invitation to serve as former President Donald Trump’s running mate.
Noem also discussed why she decided to stay out of the race, even though many had predicted she would do so, in an interview with Fox News, adding that the election is ultimately Trump’s to lose at this time.
“The fact is, none of them can win as long as Trump’s in the race. And that’s just the facts. So why run if you can’t win?” she told “Fox & Friends” on Wednesday.
“I’ve probably run 10 statewide races. I’ve won them all. I’ve never lost. If I get into a race, I’m gonna win. So that’s just how we do it. And President Trump did some great things for our state and for our country. As governor — and everybody should be grateful for this — he let me do my job. When he was president, he let me do my job, and I appreciate that,” Noem added. “Biden doesn’t do that.”
She joked that it seemed like “almost all of them” are running in reference to the huge GOP presidential field, noting that several contenders are either Republican governors or former governors.
Noem proceeded to praise Trump, who continues to have a big lead over his rivals in the 2024 primary, and he discreetly hinted that he could endorse him on his planned trip to South Dakota in early September.
Noem first talked about the excitement brewing in her state in advance of his rally when asked about a potential endorsement. She mentioned that the event’s tickets were fully gone on the first day.
“He is inspirational. People always show up to hear something interesting,” Noem said. “And yeah, you’ll hear something from me, too.”
She pointedly declined to clarify whether she would act as his veep though.
“You know, he hasn’t asked me, so we’ll cross that bridge — we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. I don’t really answer hypotheticals,” she told the Fox program.
“He’s going to need somebody that’s a good partner that’s willing to fix this country, and it’s not going to be pretty. So we’ve got a lot to do,” Noem added.
According to earlier reports, Trump is inclined to select a woman as his running partner. And Noem is one of the names that have been cited in relation to this.
Kari Lake, a contender for governor of Arizona in 2022, is one of the more recent additions, so to speak. She frequently visits Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence, according to sources.
“Kari Lake is there all the time,” a source informed People magazine. “There’s a suite there that she practically lives in.”
A Lake representative, however, denied that the reports were true.
“Kari Lake often speaks at events all over the country in support of America First candidates and organizations; and when she does have the honor of being invited to speak at the beautiful Mar-a-Lago, she overnights at Hilton properties in Palm Beach with her loving husband of 25 years,” said a statement from a Lake adviser to People.
“No candidates have publicly announced their intent to be Trump’s VP, but the former president has indicated that ‘a lot of people’ are ‘auditioning’ behind the scenes. Trump insiders told the Caller that although there haven’t been any formal discussions to narrow down the pool, there are a set of characteristics that will likely be considered,” the Daily Caller reported earlier this spring.
Unnamed Trump aide was quoted in a recent Politico article as saying that the 45th president will likely select a running mate “from three general lanes of candidates: women, conservatives of color, or a trusted adviser.”
And four Republican women, Noem, Lake, New York Representative Elise Stefanik, and Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, may be high on Trump’s shortlist, according to a separate story from the Washington Examiner.
Rephrased from: The Republic Brief By: Trump Knows
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