Former President Donald Trump has confirmed several shortlisters to be his running mate in the upcoming election cycle.
President Trump made the remarks on Feb. 20 during a Fox News town hall in Greenville, South Carolina, hosted by anchor Laura Ingraham.
Many of the potential picks mentioned have been speculated to be key contenders for the No. 2 job, and most come as no surprise.
Ms. Ingraham asked about several prospects that have been raised as potential contenders for months, including biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Fox News contributor and former U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem.
“Are they all on your shortlist?” Ms. Ingraham asked.
President Trump replied, “They are.”
But the former president also predicted that his choice of running mate could have little effect on the outcome.
“The thing that always surprises me is that the VP choice has absolutely no impact,” President Trump said. “It’s whoever the president is.”
But he also acknowledged that because he only has one term left, “it’s very important” who the vice president is.
He also reiterated his past point that his No. 1 consideration in picking a running mate is who’s capable of being the president should the need arise.
“You would like to get somebody that could help you from the voter standpoint,” President Trump said. “And honestly, all of those people are good, they’re all good.”
President Trump also made clear that one person definitely won’t be appearing on the ballot beside him in November if he becomes the nominee: former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, the sole remaining challenger for the Republican nomination, who’s widely seen as having no path to the nomination.
Some time back, there was a brief stint of rampant speculation that President Trump was considering Ms. Haley as a running mate. Since then, he’s made clear that he’s not considering that and reiterated that point on Feb. 20.
During the town hall, Ms. Ingraham asked President Trump for his reaction to an earlier statement by Ms. Haley.
“Some people used to say I was running because I really wanted to be vice president,” Ms. Haley said in a video played during the town hall. “I think I’ve pretty well settled that question.”
Ms. Ingraham asked the former president, “Has she settled that question?”
President Trump replied, “Well, I settled it about three months ago.
“She’s not working. Here [in South Carolina], she’s down by 30, 35 points. And everybody knows her. You’re not supposed to lose your home state, that shouldn’t happen anyway.”
Polls have consistently shown that Ms. Haley is all but guaranteed to lose in the state she once governed.
Trump Wants to Debate Biden
After he boycotted each of the Republican primary debates, many wondered whether President Trump would participate in debates against President Joe Biden during the general election.During his town hall, President Trump confirmed that he has every intention of debating President Biden.
“When you have the final Republican, the final Democrat, you have the two people, you have to debate regardless,” President Trump said.
Asked by Ms. Ingraham how many debates he would commit to doing, President Trump replied, “As many as necessary.
“I would like to do it starting now.”
But the former president also expressed doubts that President Biden would be willing to join him on the debate stage.
“I don’t think [President Biden’s] going to debate though,” President Trump said. “I really don’t think so.”
The town hall comes days before the highly anticipated South Carolina Republican primary, during which President Trump is expected to further cement his place as the presumptive Republican nominee.
But despite the fact that she’s all but certain to lose her home state, a tough blow for any candidate to absorb, and that she lost the Nevada primary to “none of these candidates,” Ms. Haley said she plans to stay in the race.
“Some of you—perhaps a few of you in the media—came here today to see if I’m dropping out of the race,” she said in a speech in Greenville, South Carolina, delivered the same day as President Trump’s town hall. “Well, I’m not. Far from it.”
South Carolinians will head to the polls on Feb. 24. President Trump has so far won record-shattering victories in Iowa, New Hampshire, and Nevada and is widely expected to take home more delegates in South Carolina’s winner-take-all contest.
