The leading candidate of the Republican party hints that the governor of Florida, whom he previously criticized as Ron DeSanctimonious, might still be chosen as his second-in-command.
Donald Trump has suggested a few potential candidates for his vice-presidential running mate in the event he secures the Republican presidential nomination, with the unexpected addition of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis catching some attention.
Participating in a Fox News town hall event in South Carolina before the state’s Republican primary on Saturday, Mr. Trump was given a list of potential candidates by moderator Laura Ingraham. The list included well-known GOP figures like former presidential contenders Vivek Ramaswamy and Tim Scott, Florida congressman Byron Donalds, and South Dakota governor Kristi Noem. Surprisingly, the list also featured Mr. Desantis among the contenders, which seemed unlikely.
The second individual had a challenging run for the presidency, ultimately ending it before the New Hampshire primary last month. Throughout his campaign, he struggled to resonate with voters and faced relentless bullying and mockery from Mr. Trump, who derisively referred to him as Ron Desanctimonious.
After criticizing his Republican colleagues for their willingness to submit to Mr. Trump and show loyalty, the candidate seems to have had a change of heart. Reports suggest that he flew to South Carolina on Tuesday, as mentioned by Ms. Ingraham on the broadcast.
A notable mention was made of Tulsi Gabbard, the ex-Hawaii congresswoman who ran for the Democratic presidential nomination just four years ago.
Earlier this week, Ms. Gabbard made an appearance on Fox News where she supported Mr. Trump’s criticism of NATO member states for failing to fulfill their financial obligations to the military alliance, yet still relying on the United States for protection.
Elise Stefanik, the congresswoman from New York, who has been actively seeking the position in recent weeks, and Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the former White House press secretary under Mr. Trump, were notably absent from the discussion.
Mr. Trump expressed that he believed all the individuals mentioned by Ms. Ingraham were good, but he did not commit to endorsing any specific person.
All of them are competent and reliable. I consistently emphasize the importance of having individuals with practical wisdom, given the numerous nonsensical occurrences in our nation.Instead of addressing the question at hand about his potential deputy, he veered off course and began discussing open borders, high interest rates, and electric vehicles in a somewhat nonsensical manner to support his argument.
At the start of this week, the Trump campaign sent out a fundraising email to its supporters, seeking their participation in a live survey regarding their preferences for his potential running mate. The survey aimed to gather insights on whether the candidate’s faith or background posed any concerns, as well as to identify the policy issues that resonated most strongly with them.
At another point in the town hall meeting, Mr. Trump reiterated his controversial comparison between his current legal issues and the tragic death of political activist Alexei Navalny in a Russian jail.
The candidate vehemently claimed that the $355 million financial penalties imposed on him by the state of New York were akin to a tactic used against Navalny, asserting that it represented either communism or fascism.
He also agreed to engage in debates with Joe Biden as many times as needed if he were to win the GOP presidential nomination, even though he had avoided debating as a party candidate. However, he failed to provide any proof of corruption in President Biden’s background, despite the ongoing questionable impeachment investigation by House Republicans.
Mr. Trump faced challenges in providing detailed plans for tackling illegal immigration and responding to Ms. Ingraham’s inquiry regarding the classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago resort. His decision not to comply with the National Archives’ request resulted in an FBI raid on the property in August 2022 and a subsequent criminal indictment by Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith.
His tangent on a dishwasher company in Ohio, claiming they were struggling due to water shortages, was another eyebrow-raising moment that President Biden has specifically directed his campaign team to highlight.
