- Trump said Tim Scott and Kristi Noem would be considered for his vice presidency in 2024
- The ex-president also dispelled rumors that he was considering running for RFK Jr.
Donald Trump said South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) are on the short list for his candidacy in the 2024 general election.
He also dispelled rumors that he was considering Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as his vice presidential running mate, saying his team never reached out to the independent candidates.
Speaking to Fox News host Maria Bartiromo, Trump said he won't announce who he plans to run with on the 2024 ticket for “a while.”
Former President Donald Trump said he is considering Sen. Tim Scott and Gov. Kristi Noem as candidates to run in 2024 — but said he won't announce that for “a while.”
However, he revealed some of the criteria he takes into account when looking for a new No. 2 – including knowing that the person he chooses would be a good president if needed.
“We have a lot of good people in the Republican Party,” Trump said in a rare word of praise for other Republican politicians.
“I called Tim Scott and told him you're a much better candidate for me than you are for yourself,” Trump told Bartiromo during an interview that aired on Sunday Morning Futures.
He spent much time supporting Scott, claiming the South Carolina candidate was “reserved” during his presidential run, but has become a fierce defender of the former president in recent weeks.
“Kristi Noem fought incredibly for me,” he added of the South Dakota governor. “She said, 'I would never fight him because I can't beat him.' That was a very nice thing to say.'
Noem confirmed in her own interview with Bartiromo on Sunday that she speaks with Trump frequently, but they have never directly discussed the possibility of being on the list together in 2024.
Trump said Sen. Tim Scott was a better candidate for him than for himself. The South Carolina senator most recently dropped out of the 2024 race in November and endorsed Trump. Pictured: Trump and Scott appear together at a rally the evening before the New Hampshire primary on January 22nd
He also said on Sunday: “Kristi Noem fought incredibly for me.” Pictured: Trump and Noem appear together on September 7, 2018 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota
“Did he contact you about possibly being his running mate?” asked Bartiromo Noem.
“No, we talk all the time, but we've never had this conversation before,” she replied. “I’m just talking about how we can really help our country at this critical time in history.”
Polls consistently show Scott and Noem listed as popular potential candidates for Trump.
But others on the list include Trump's former press secretary and current Arkansas governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik and former 2024 candidate and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.
Donald Trump names Gov. Kristi Noem and Sen. Tim Scott as potential 2024 candidates as he reveals criteria for his next vice president