OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Former President Donald Trump fueled rumors over the weekend about his veepstakes after he attended a “mega MAGA” gala at Mar-a-Lago.
The Trumpettes, a fan club dedicated to supporting Donald Trump, organized the “Golden Evening for a Golden President” event.
The star-studded event featured actor Robert Davi, who improvised a version of Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” in which he crooned, “Trump did it his way.” Georgia GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene tore into “communist Democrats” who are “coming after your money.”
But one name stood out — Vivek Ramaswamy, who dropped out of the presidential race and is rumored to be on Trump’s VP shortlist, made an entrance with Trump and former First Lady Melania Trump.
Social media erupted over the Super Bowl weekend, with opinions and comments suggesting Ramaswamy as a potential vice president.
“I wonder if Vivek will be vice president? I have never been so impatient in my life to know who the VP pick is. Waiting sucks,” an X user wrote.
“This is what the country needs. President and VP. This needs to happen,” another wrote.
“I think God anointed him to save this country,” event organizer Toni Holt Kramer, president of the support group Trumpettes USA, told the audience that filled Mar-a-Lago’s main ballroom on Feb. 10. “America is the love of his life. He’s got the biggest heart, the smartest mind, and the strongest way. There’s no one else like him.”
WATCH:
Every major poll shows that Trump has the 2024 GOP nomination locked up, barring something unexpected.
Now, a larger question looms: if he wins the nomination, who will Trump select as his running mate?
According to a report from The Messenger, which conducted interviews with twelve prominent Republicans, including some Trump advisors, the list of possible running mates for Trump in 2024 has been pared down to a select few.
There have been rumors that Trump is interested in a female candidate for vice president and running mate, and it may be down to two high-profile names — South Dakota Republican Gov. Kristi Noem and House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik.
Noem, a popular red-state governor who has endorsed Trump, has been popping up more frequently in reports as someone Trump likes.
In an interview with Real America’s Voice streaming network earlier this month, Noem touched on several subjects, including potentially becoming Trump’s running mate.
“Well, there’s a lot of people they’re talking about for vice president… I have long supported President Trump; he had his priorities right when he was leading this country,” Noem said.
Noem endorsed Trump during a campaign rally in her state in September, CNN reported, “fueling speculation about the role the Republican governor may play in his third bid for the White House.”
“I think she’s fantastic,” Trump said in an interview in mid-September about her. “She’s been a great governor. She gave me a very full-throated endorsement—a beautiful endorsement, actually. It’s been a very good state for me, and certainly, she would be one of the people I would consider, or for something else, maybe. We have a lot of great people in the Republican Party.”
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem said Trump’s VP pick should tell him like it is. When asked if she fits the bill she said she’s been honest with the president since the beginning. pic.twitter.com/gkxK4DpwK2
— Jake Traylor (@jake__traylor) January 4, 2024
I’ve known @realdonaldtrump for years.
From working together on tax cuts and trade agreements, to celebrating our Freedom with fireworks at Mount Rushmore, President Trump has always fought for the American people. 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/tJIZZkCxEO
— Kristi Noem (@KristiNoem) January 9, 2024
Stefanik, another ardent supporter of Trump, has become the fourth-most powerful Republican in the chamber in short order after the GOP conference ousted Trump critic and now-former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyoming) last year.
Last month, Stefanik (R-N.Y.) ripped Manhattan Superior Court Judge Arthur Engoron, who is presiding over the former president’s civil fraud trial in New York, alleging “inappropriate bias and judicial intemperance” in a letter to the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct.
Elise Stefanik defends President Trump:
“Our border crisis is poisoning people through fentanyl. And you know why? Because of Joe Biden’s wide-open border. I stand by President Trump.” pic.twitter.com/L1fLrlfSns
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) January 7, 2024
