Trump Mentions Tim Scott, Kristi Noem as Possible VP Picks

Facts

• Former US Pres. Donald Trump, the Republican front-runner for the 2024 presidential nomination, told Fox News host Maria Bartiromo on Sunday that South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem are on his shortlist to become his vice presidential pick.¹
• In the interview aired on 'Sunday Morning Futures,' Trump also revealed that his main criteria for a running mate is to select someone who could step up and effectively handle the presidency in case of any emergency.²
• Asked about rumors that his campaign had reached out to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. about potentially serving as his vice president, Trump quickly denied that such a call had ever taken place.³
• He previously mentioned Sen. Lindsay Graham of South Carolina and former South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster as potential running mates, reportedly praising Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York at a dinner at Mar-a-Lago. Other names mentioned include Ben Carson, Doug Burgum, Kari Lake, Mike Pompeo, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Tucker Carlson, and Vivek Ramaswamy.⁴
• Meanwhile, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio — who has also been floated as a potential pick — told ABC News 'This Week' host George Stephanopoulos on Sunday that he would have handled the certification of the 2020 election differently if he had been the vice president.⁵
• Trump is expected to adhere to tradition and only announce his running mate in summer, when the official nominating conventions are held. CBS, citing sources close to his campaign, reported that he has been advised to wait so as to build suspense and increase his leverage on potential candidates.⁶

Sources: ¹Independent, ²FOX News, ³National Review, ⁴Forbes, ⁵ABC News and ⁶CBS.

Narratives

• Anti-Trump narrative, as provided by Huffington Post. It's no coincidence that Trump has name-dropped Tim Scott and Kristi Noem, given that they have paid court to the likely GOP nominee in recent weeks, and such a self-centered behavior is the most distinctive trait of his personality. After a disastrous term in office, America should know that Trump possesses no boundaries when it comes to reaping personal benefits.
• Pro-Trump narrative, as provided by Breitbart. All this hype over who Trump will pick as his running mate in the Republican presidential ticket can only be explained by the fact that the former president has already clinched the nomination fight in the early weeks of the primaries. Regardless of Democrats' criticism, Trump will judge potential vice presidential candidates on their suitability for the role.

Predictions