Governor Kristi Noem of South Dakota has stated that she would be open to being Vice President of former President Donald Trump in 2024.
In a recent interview, Noem hinted that she would be the running mate of the Republican presidential contender in 2024 while previously dodging queries about a prospective presidential run.
“Of course, I would consider it,” Noem told Fox News’s Sean Hannity. “I think everybody should consider it. Our country is breaking in front of our very eyes today, and everybody should be part of putting it back on its foundation.”
She then affirmed her support for President Trump as the likely nominee, saying, “If President Trump is back in the White House, I will do all I can to help him be successful.”
Based on an average of Republican polls conducted by RealClearPolitics, the former president continues to have overwhelming support from the party’s base (55.5%). After Trump, Ron DeSantis (14.5%) and Vivek Ramaswamy (7.2%).
Several months ago, Noem was asked whether another candidate could win in another interview. “No, I don’t think so. President Trump is in the race, and right now, I don’t see a path to victory for anybody else with him in the race and the situation as it sits today,” she declared.
Trump has been silent on the question of whether or not he would consider Noem for his vice presidential ticket. Last month, he hinted in a Truth Social post that he would use the first Republican debate to audition for his eventual presidential pick.
“Let them debate so I can see who I might consider for Vice President!” he wrote on Truth Social.
Several candidates, such as conservative radio host and presidential candidate Larry Elder and former Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, have been mentioned as potential running mates for him.
In a July interview with Newsweek, Larry Elder said he would consider accepting an offer from President Trump.
The first Republican presidential primary debate is scheduled for Aug. 23 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which could serve as a critical swing state in 2024.
The former president has been hinting for months that he won’t be attending the first debate, asking why he should when he’s so far ahead in the polls compared to the rest of the GOP field. He has also criticized Fox for its recent coverage of him and said that it is counterproductive to allow others to attack him.
Candidates hoping to distinguish themselves as the leading alternative to the outgoing president may use his absence as an opening to launch attacks on DeSantis.
At the debate, President Trump’s rivals for the Republican nomination ahead of the 2024 election will convene to promote their candidacies. But only a select handful have criticized Trump aggressively so far.
The former president also has an Aug. 25 deadline to voluntarily surrender himself in Fulton County, Georgia, after being charged this week in a fourth criminal indictment regarding alleged activity on his part following the 2020 election.
He also faces two federal indictments over his handling of classified documents after leaving office in January 2021 and over his alleged role in efforts to overturn the election loss. He also faces charges in New York over alleged hush money payments before the 2016 election.
In a poll by Reuters, most self-identified Republicans in June said they saw the indictments of President Trump up to that point as political.