Unexpected New Names Keep Coming Up as Hunt for Trump's New Running Mate Begins

By Abby Liebing November 18, 2022 at 11:33am

Since former President Donald Trump officially announced his third presidential run on Tuesday, rumors and speculation have already begun about who could be chosen to be his running mate for 2024.

Trump’s former vice president, Mike Pence, is certainly not an option, as he has publicly criticized Trump for his past actions, particularly regarding Jan. 6. Pence has even hinted at possibly running himself in 2024, as he told ABC News.

With Trump’s announcement, some have already started to throw out possible ideas for who he might pick as a vice president to run alongside him if he manages to secure the Republican nomination.

Some have suggested Majorie Taylor Greene, a Republican representative from Georgia, Syracuse.com reported.

The New York Times Magazine writer Robert Draper pointed out that MTG’s loyalty to Trump might make her stand out, the Daily Beast reported.

“[S]he has been unflaggingly loyal to Trump throughout. What is Trump concerned about most of all in a VP after the Mike Pence experience? Loyalty. He knows that if he needs someone to fight for him to overturn a presidential election. He has every reason to expect that Greene would be by his side and would be his proximate warrior,” Draper said.

Iowa’s Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds, who just became the head of the Republican Governors Association, has also been suggested as a viable option for Trump, the Conservative Brief reported.

Bob Vander Plaats, CEO of The Family Leader, a conservative Christian organization that has had connections with Trump and other major Republican figures, said last year that Reynolds would make a great running mate for Trump, The Cedar Rapids Gazette reported.

Will Trump pick one of these women to be his vice president?

Kari Lake, who ran for governor in Arizona, has also been floated as a possible candidate, and even visited Trump in Florida this week, in the midst of her ongoing fight for the governorship of Arizona, even though the race was called for her Democratic opponent Katie Hobbs, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Many on social media are already saying that Lake should be at Trump’s side if he wins the nomination.

“Kari Lake does not need to make the same mistake as Stacey Abrams did. Go straight for Vice President. Trump/Lake or DeSantis/Lake would have national appeal beyond belief,” one user tweeted.

Kari Lake does not need to make the same mistake as Stacey Abrams did.

Go straight for Vice President.

Trump/Lake or DeSantis/Lake would have national appeal beyond belief.

— Lavern Spicer 🇺🇸 (@lavern_spicer) November 15, 2022

“I think if @KariLake ends up losing this election she should immediately get together with President Trump! Keri Lake will make a great Vice President and these two together will be a force to reckon with, they can’t lose!” another user posted on Twitter.

I think if @KariLake ends up losing this election she should immediately get together with President Trump! Keri Lake will make a great Vice President and these two together will be a force to reckon with, they can’t lose!

— Proud Army Mom (@momofarmympvet) November 12, 2022

There is also speculation about New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, chair of the House Republican Conference, and one of the first Republican officials to officially endorse Trump’s 2024 run, even before he himself announced it, Syracuse.com reported.

“Republican voters determine who is the leader of the Republican Party and it’s very clear President Trump is the leader of the Republican party. What the media fails to report is that we just won the midterms and flipped the House,” Stefanik’s statement to Breitbart News last week read.

There are others, such as South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and even U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, who have been suggested by some as good partners for Trump, Syracuse.com noted.

Though many are already talking about a possible vice president, Trump will have to get a nomination first before anyone can actually be considered.

Even before the midterm elections, Trump indicated that potential running mates were already approaching him to be considered for the role, one anonymous source told Politico.

“They’re all begging me. They all come here,” Trump reportedly said, according to Politico. That story mentioned Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as other possible VP candidates.

There has been a varied response to Trump’s official campaign announcement. Many are waiting to see how things play out over the coming months as 2022 winds down.

Along with speculation around a possible running mate for Trump, there are also still rumors and speculation around who might even be challenging Trump for the Republican nomination.

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