As Trump closes in on nomination, VP talks are swirling
As former President Donald Trump inches closer to securing what appears to be an inevitable 2024 Republican nomination, voters are beginning to wonder who he may tap in as VP.
Those who have been campaigning with him or on behalf of him in the days surrounding the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary could be clues as to who’s auditioning for the job.
Trump has also been building suspense, saying during a recent Fox News town hall that he already knows "who it’s going to be."
He told Fox News host Bret Baier that "there’s probably a 25% chance" that he would ultimately pick the person he had in mind, adding: "The person that I think I like is a very good person, pretty standard. I think people won’t be that surprised."
RELATED: Trump on potential 2024 VP pick: 'I know who it's going to be'
Here’s who leading the buzz as potential candidates:
Rep. Elise Stefanik
US Republican presidential hopeful and former US President Donald Trump greets US Representative Elise Stefanik (R-NY) during a campaign event in Concord, New Hampshire, on January 19, 2024. (Photo by Timothy A. Clary / AFP via Getty Images)
Elise Stefanik is a member of House Republican leadership who has seen her profile rise after aggressively questioning a trio of university presidents over antisemitism, leading two of them to resign.
"She has seen her star in the Republican party skyrocket during the Trump years. She was a much more moderate member … when she first started in Congress. She worked in the Bush White House, was Harvard educated, and so was definitely part of the Washington Republican establishment. But she saw that if she hitched her wagon to Trump, she could climb the ladder and she has," Daniel Lippman with Politico told LiveNOW from FOX.
She has been frequently seen on Trump’s campaign trail.
J.D. Vance
Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, speaks at East Palestine Fire Department during a visit to East Palestine, Ohio, following the Feb. 3 Norfolk Southern freight train derailment on Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023, in East Palestine, Ohio. (Photo by Jabin Botsford/Th
Ohio Sen. JD Vance once called himself a "never-Trump guy" and labeled Trump an "idiot." But like so much of his party, he has rallied to Trump’s side.
He says the two are now "very close" and talk "all the time." And while he said he would "help out however I can" if he was offered the vice presidential ticket, he said Trump would also need allies in Congress.
Vance, a venture capitalist and newcomer to politics who authored "Hillbilly Elegy", won 80 of Ohio’s 88 counties with the backing of Trump in the 2022 Senate election.
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem speaks at the Monument Leaders Rally hosted by the South Dakota Republican Party before introducing former President Donald Trump on September 08, 2023 in Rapid City, South Dakota. Noem endorsed Trump during the even
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has also been holding events on Trump’s behalf, particularly in Iowa ahead of the caucuses.
She endorsed the former president back in September to much fanfare during a party fundraiser, which Trump also attended.
During the event he praised Noem as "one of the most successful governors in the entire nation" and said her endorsement "means a lot."
Noem will be term-limited in 2026 and, after declining to run for president this cycle, is eyeing her next move to maintain prominence in the GOP.
Sen. Tim Scott
US Republican Senator from South Carolina Tim Scott speaks as Republican presidential hopeful and former US President Donald Trump listens during a campaign event in Concord, New Hampshire, on January 19, 2024. Senator Tim Scott announced his endorse
Sen. Tim Scott had his own presidential campaign going, but dropped out abruptly and eventually endorsed Trump just days ahead of the New Hampshire primary.
Scott flew with Trump from Florida to New Hampshire Jan. 19 to deliver his effusive endorsement in a rousing call-and-response speech that resembled a vice presidential tryout.
The Senate’s only Black Republican has aligned himself with mainstream GOP positions. But Scott has pushed the party on some policing overhaul measures since the killing of George Floyd, and he has occasionally criticized Trump’s response to racial tensions.
This story was reported from Detroit. The Associated Press contributed.