Trump Allies Give Hint About 2024 Running Mate

President Donald Trump is considering selecting a new running mate for his potential 2024 presidential campaign, however, there is still no clear favorite.

Trump has reportedly been holding meetings to discuss potential vice presidential candidates. While some of his advisors are urging him to choose a woman or a person of color to appeal to a broader demographic, others are suggesting that he pick someone with a strong conservative record to energize his base.

John McLaughlin, one of Trump’s close campaign members claimed, “A lot of times, a presidential candidate will pick a running mate to balance out wings of the party. But with Trump, that’s not the issue. He is the party, basically. It’s so united behind him. So his choice, if he runs, will come down to what he wants. It would be a much more personal decision this time.”

Tony Fabrizio, aid to Trump said, “He’s not necessarily looking to balance the ticket geographically, but what he can do is pick to balance gender, race, ethnicity — a lot of different lanes there. It could be everything from a Tim Scott in South Carolina to an Asian American in California, somebody Hispanic in Texas. There are so many choices and paths. And there’s lots of time to go.”

Several potential candidates have been mentioned, including former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem. However, Trump has not yet made any official statements about his running mate or his presidential campaign plans.

DeSantis seems unlikely now, considering that many predict he will be the main challenger to Trump. Plus, the two have exchanged jabs in the media over recent months foreshadowing a potential future rivalry. Noem seems like a more likely candidate, given her feminine addition to Trump’s cause.

Fabrizio continued,“He’s not necessarily looking to balance the ticket geographically, but what he can do is pick to balance gender, race, ethnicity… It could be everything from a Tim Scott in South Carolina to an Asian American in California, somebody Hispanic in Texas. There are so many choices and paths. And there’s lots of time to go.”

Grabbing a minority candidate makes sense for a VP choice, however, there have been few names thrown out that bolster the likes of a truly powerful running mate. However, much it uncertain.

“Trump feels he made DeSantis. Trump sees him as a competitor. And he’s not going to have someone with better numbers.”

“They’re all begging me. They all come here,” Trump said to one adviser.

It is also extremely unlikely Vice President Mike Pence, who served as Trump’s running mate in the 2016 and 2020 elections, would be open to running with him again. The decision on Trump’s running mate will likely have significant implications for his campaign and could shape the direction of the Republican Party going forward.

Trump and Pence had many disagreements since Trump’s presidency, especially around the January 6 incident. “Though it was Pence’s legal responsibility, Trump considered him disloyal and recently went so far as to say it was ‘common sense’ that the Jan. 6 Capitol rioters chanted ‘hang Mike Pence.'”

Politico writes:

Longtime Trump adviser Roger Stone said the shadow presidential campaigns from Scott and so many others double as a sort of vice-presidential tryout for Trump.

“This is an audition. And Trump is paying attention,” Stone said. “There’s no question that people running for president are really running for vice president all the time. The key is to make it look like you’re not running for vice president.”

Within Trump’s orbit, there is a belief that a Black running mate could eat into Democratic margins in key swing states, and that Hispanic voters are showing more signs of being up for grabs — especially in crucial battlegrounds like Arizona, Nevada, Florida and Texas.