Who will be Trump's VP pick? From Tim Scott to Tulsi Gabbard, here are 8 potential candidates

8 potential candidates for Donald Trump's vice-presidential pick

A considerable number of potential running mates for former President Donald Trump are attending the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), which will end on Saturday, February 24, with a vice presidential straw poll. CPAC has already endorsed Trump and on Tuesday evening during a Fox News Town Hall in Greenville, South Carolina, the 77-year-old GOP presidential frontrunner named a few individuals he is considering to be his 2024 running mate. Trump’s ‘shortlist’ includes three former GOP candidates, namely, Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R). He also mentioned Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem (R), and former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, who served in Congress as a Democrat but has since resigned, are in the running. Other names that have been suggested, are Arizona Republican Kari Lake, New York Rep. Elise Stefanik (R), North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum (R), former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (R), and Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R). Let’s now take a closer look at each of these potential vice-presidential candidates:

1. South Carolina Senator Tim Scott

Prior to his withdrawal from the race in November, last year, Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina had initiated his own presidential campaign. The senator has previously indicated his potential interest in serving as President Trump's running mate and has expressed his desire to see the former president return to office. “This nation hungers for some constant projection of a better future, and that trajectory happens with President Trump in office,” Scott remarked in January, this year. During a recent town hall event in South Carolina, Trump drew particular attention to Scott. In response to questions regarding a possible running mate, Trump gestured toward Scott and remarked, “A lot of people are talking about that gentleman right over there.” “I have to say, this is in a very positive way. Tim Scott, he has been much better for me than he was for himself,” the former President asserted and continued, “I watched his campaign, and he doesn’t like talking about himself, but boy, does he talk about Trump.”

2. Vivek Ramaswamy

Last summer, Donald Trump recommended that Vivek Ramaswamy, a notable biotech multimillionaire, would be a strong contender for the vice presidency. Ramaswamy, who at 38 was the youngest member of the GOP presidential race, however, withdrew from the race in January, this year, and soon after gave his endorsement to the former president. During his campaign, Ramaswamy stated he would seek Trump's counsel if he was elected, and even lauded him as an "excellent president." Nevertheless, Ramaswamy was not keen on serving as Trump's No.2, claiming he’s “not a Plan B person,” and rebuffed the idea of working under him for a potential second term.

3. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis

During the 2022 midterm elections, the former President of the United States, Donald Trump, gave the Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, the nickname 'Ron DeSanctimonious'. However, after the 45-year-old GOP presidential hopeful withdrew from the race last month and instead endorsed Trump, the former president "officially retired" the aforementioned nickname. Governor DeSantis reaffirmed his commitment to the Republican Party, stating that he had signed a pledge to support the Republican nominee and that he would "honor that pledge." The Trump campaign expressed its gratitude for the endorsement, stating that it was "honored" by Governor DeSantis' support.

4. Ex-Democrat turned Fox News commentator Tulsi Gabbard

Tulsi Gabbard, a former Hawaii Representative, served as a member of Congress and ran for the presidency in 2020 as a Democrat. Gabbard, who had been a member of the Democratic Party since 2013, declared in a video statement that the party was "stoking anti-white racism" and was "hostile to people of faith and spirituality." In light of this, she announced her decision to leave the party and expressed her support for candidates aligned with former President Trump. It has been reported that Gabbard will be the keynote speaker at the 917 Society's annual fundraising event, which is scheduled to take place next month at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.

5. South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem

Last year, Governor Kristi Noem of South Dakota endorsed former President Trump at a party fundraiser, fueling rumors that she might be positioning herself as his running mate. Trump praised Noem as “one of the most successful governors in the entire nation,” stating that her endorsement “means a lot” to him. Recently, Noem was banned from the Pine Ridge Reservation by the Oglala Sioux Tribe for a second time, causing controversy. Tribe President Frank Star Comes Out accused Noem of using immigration and border issues to help re-elect Trump and improve her chances of being picked as his running mate. Noem had previously blamed homicides on the reservation including cartel and gang activity, specifically calling out a group called the "Ghost Dancers." However, the Tribe President stated that he had never heard of this group and had no knowledge of their presence on the reservation.

6. Florida Republican Byron Donalds

Byron Donalds, a Republican representative from Florida, supported Donald Trump's presidential campaign in the spring of 2020 instead of Governor Ron DeSantis, who also held office in the Sunshine State. In November of the same year, Donalds stated that he would accept the hypothetical opportunity to be Trump's running mate, stating that “it’s really up to the president.” Donalds self-identifies as a "Trump-supporting, liberty-loving, pro-life, pro-2nd Amendment Black man," according to his website. Trump recently named Donalds as one of the potential candidates for the role of running mate at the town hall discussion in Greenville, South Carolina on Tuesday.

7. Arizona Republican Kari Lake

Kari Lake, a former TV news anchor, who lost Arizona's 2022 gubernatorial race by a whisker, conceding the victory to Democrat Katie Hobbs is currently running for Arizona Senate. Lake has been acknowledged by former President Donald Trump as a "rising star," and in November 2022, he expressed his willingness for her to become the new face of his "Make America Great Again" campaign slogan (MAGA). Lake's campaign in the Arizona gubernatorial election focused on border security, gun rights, and opposition to COVID-19 mandates. Additionally, she has publicly supported Trump's unproven claims of winning the 2020 presidential election. On Monday, Lake spoke to KTAR News 92.3 FM, where she expressed her doubts about the sanctity of the United States' elections. She stated that she did not "know who exactly stole the election" but maintained her belief that the country's election system is not secure.

8. New York congresswoman Elise Stefanik

Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, a Republican from New York, has had a complicated relationship with Donald Trump. Despite criticizing him in the past, she now identifies as "ultra-MAGA" and claims she is “proud of it.” As Chair of the House Republican Conference, Stefanik has taken issue with some of Trump's actions, such as his derogatory comments about women and his decision to withdraw the US from the Paris Climate Accord. However, she has also supported the investigation into potential Russian interference in the 2016 election led by Special Counsel Robert S Mueller III. During Trump's first impeachment hearing in November 2019, Stefanik defended him, serving on the House Intelligence Committee. Recently, she joined other members of Congress in signing a letter that called for President Joe Biden to undergo cognitive testing and share the results with the public.