Former President Trump on Sunday further fueled speculation over his pick for a 2024 running mate, dropping the names of Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) when asked about whom he is favoring.
Trump, in an interview with Fox News “Sunday Morning Futures” anchor Maria Bartiromo, was asked when he will announce his pick for vice president, to which he said, “Not for a while. We have so many great people in the Republican Party, but not for a while.”
Bartiromo further pressed the former president on how he is picking his running mate.
“Always it’s got to be one thing,” Trump said. “It’s got to be who would [be] able to be a good president. I mean, you always have to think that because you know, a civil emergency … things happen right? No matter who you are, things happen. It’s got to be number one. Who’s your enemy.”
He further stated that there is “a lot of good people,” to which Bartiromo asked if Trump has not decided who it is.
“I haven’t, and there’s no reason,” Trump responded.
He added he speaks to “everybody” and revealed he recently called Scott, who suspended his White House bid last year then threw his full support behind Trump.
“I called him and I said, ‘You are [a] much better candidate … for me, than you were for yourself,'” he said. “When I watched Tim, he was fine, he was good, but he was very low-key. I watched him in the last week, defending me, and sticking up for me and fighting for me.”
Trump later said Noem has “been incredible fighting” for him, pointing to her comments where she said she would never run against him “because [she] can’t beat him.”
Scott and Noem’s names have been among several circulating in recent months. Others include Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), a staunch Trump ally who has appeared on the campaign trail.
Trump holds a wide lead over his remaining major GOP challenger, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, and is coming off of victories in New Hampshire and Iowa.
National polling indexes from The Hill and Decision Desk HQ show Trump with a 57.2 point lead over the former South Carolina governor, while the former president has a 30.8 point lead in Haley’s home state, which is slated to hold its primary later this month.