Former President Trump on Saturday suggested he has his pick for vice president and hinted people will not “be that surprised” by his choice of running mate.
Asked by Fox News chief political anchor Bret Baier in New Hampshire about when he will decide who could join him on the ticket if he secures the nomination, Trump said, “Well, it’s never really had that much of an effect on an election, which is an amazing thing, both election and primary. It’s never really had much of an effect.”
“I may or may not really [decide] something over the next couple of months. There’s no rush to that. It won’t have any impact at all. The person that I think I like is a very good person, a pretty standard. I think people won’t be that surprised, but I would say there’s probably a 25 percent chance that would be that person,” Trump continued.
Asked if Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) — who dropped out of the GOP primary race in November and endorsed Trump on Friday — is on the list, Trump described the senator as a “great guy” while highlighting other political figures from the Palmetto State.
“You know, [Scott] endorsed me. There’s an example, [Nikki Haley] comes from South Carolina, Tim Scott is from South Carolina. But if you look [at] the governor, great governor, another senator [Lindsey Graham]. We happen to like Lindsey,” Trump said. “But, [Gov. Henry McMaster (R)] knows it very well. He endorsed me. It’s very hard for a governor to endorse somebody when you haven’t … I mean, Henry McMaster was the lieutenant governor under her and he endorsed me … What does that tell you?”
In a Fox News town hall in Iowa earlier this month, Trump indicated he would be willing to consider any of the people who ran against him.
“I’ve already started to like [Chris Christie] better,” Trump said, in reference to the former New Jersey governor who dropped out of the primary race earlier this month. Christie and Trump have had a tumultuous relationship over the years, with Christie’s 2024 campaign largely squared on criticizing the former president.
Trump has largely kept his cards close to his chest when it comes to who might join him on the Republican ticket.
Several Trump allies have urged him to select a female running mate, suggesting names such as Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem.
