NEW: Lara Trump Responds To Senate Bid Rumors

Lara Trump responded to rumors that she will be running to replace retiring Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) while speaking with Fox News’ Sean Hannity on Wednesday night.

An unidentified source told NBC News that the president’s daughter-in-law is “strongly considering jumping in the race.” The source went as far as to say it is practically a “done deal,” adding that a Trump candidacy would almost certainly clear the primary field of any additional challengers.

“I’d put it as high as one could be considering it … The race will be over before it begins,” the source told NBC’s Vaughn Hillyard this past weekend.

On Wednesday, the former RNC co-chair addressed the possibility directly for the first time. “I have to ask you, I was there for one conversation that was off the record that you only, you know about, the President knows about, and Eric knows about, and it was a heavy dose of pressure, but what’s, tell us where you stand,” Hannity asked.

“Yeah, well, clearly North Carolina needs someone to represent them. Tom Tillis has not done a great job. He’s not going to seek re-election as so many people know,” Trump responded.

The president’s daughter-in-law, a North Carolina native and graduate of the University of North Carolina, then noted that she previously explored the possibility of running for Senate in the state in 2022. She was also considered as a potential replacement for Marco Rubio in Florida before withdrawing her name from consideration last year.

“We now have Ted Budd as a great senator from my home state of North Carolina. Thought about possibly seeking out you know to fill Marco Rubio’s big shoes down in Florida but the timing wasn’t right for that. And look, this is new, it’s all very fresh. This all happened over the weekend so there’s a lot to process,” she said.

“And there’s a lot that would go into this decision. What I can tell you is I have seen how service can impact so many people’s lives. I look at my father-in-law as the greatest example of that, and it’s a bigger conversation for our entire family to have. And we’re not quite there yet.”

Nevertheless, Trump left the door open to a potential run. “So it’s all very fresh and new, but I would love if I ever have the opportunity to represent the people of my home state in North Carolina. It would be a great honor of mine,” she said.

Early polling indicates that Lara Trump would be a strong candidate if she does decide to jump in the race. Late last year, a poll from Victory Insights found Trump with a commanding lead over Tillis in a hypothetical primary match-up, with 65 percent of respondents expressing support for her candidacy. Just 11 percent of respondents committed to backing Tillis, while the rest remained unsure.

In addition to Trump, potential candidates include freshman U.S. Rep. Pat Harrigan, former U.S. Rep. Dan Bishop and RNC Chair Michael Whatley, though the party is expected to coalesce around Trump if she does indeed announce a bid.