Former president Donald Trump fueled speculation on Friday about his vice presidential pick, likely ruling out former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, his campaign’s biggest threat.
Three days away from the New Hampshire primary, Trump is his party’s front-runner and could set up his vice president for a 2028 bid if he takes back the White House in November. Rumors indicate Trump is eyeing a woman to join his GOP ticket.
Here is what some of the women rumored to be in consideration for the role have said about joining Trump on a 2024 ticket.
Nikki Haley
Speaking to voters on Friday in Amherst, New Hampshire, Haley said, “I don’t want to be anybody’s vice president. That is off the table,” according to the Washington Post.
While the former president has said it’s unlikely the former South Carolina governor will be his running mate, he has yet to put talks of a Trump-Haley ticket to rest.
Speaking the weekend before the New Hampshire primary, Trump said he “probably” wouldn’t choose his top rival, Haley, as his running mate.
“She is not presidential timber,” Trump said at a campaign event in Concord, New Hampshire. “Now, when I say that, that probably means that she’s not going to be chosen as the vice president.”
Haley placed third in the Iowa Republican caucuses this week, with 19% — trailing Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) at 21%, 30-points behind Trump’s massive lead at 51%.
Kristi Noem
Gov. Kristi Noem (R-SD) has long been discussed as one of Trump’s top contenders as vice president.
Last year, Noem praised the potential to serve as Trump’s 2024 running mate, telling Fox News that “everybody should consider it.”
“If President Trump is going to be back in the White House, I’d do all I can to help him be successful,” Noem said.
Noem, who was previously floated as a presidential candidate herself, seems more willing than Haley to take on the supporting role for Trump if it helps him get back into the Oval Office.
She’s favored by Trump’s base as a strong defender and ally of the former president, often aligning her state policies to match the former GOP president’s agenda. In 2022, Noem claimed that South Dakota “never shut down” in the early stages of the pandemic and resisted statewide stay-at-home orders, which prompted praise from Trump.
Elise Stefanik
Republican chairwoman Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) stole the spotlight as Trump’s attack dog amid the former president’s multiple indictments last year. Strongly supported by MAGA Republicans, Stefanik has played an active role in the House GOP’s inquiry into Hunter Biden.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
“I’d be honored to serve in a future Trump administration in any role,” Stefanik said to reporters ahead of Trump’s New Hampshire event on Friday. “But I’m focused on making sure that we are supporting him, to making sure he is in the strongest position to win this November.”
Stefanik’s strong defense of Trump puts her in place to be a top contender for the 2024 ticket, often downplaying the former president’s role in the riot on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.