Donald Trump on Tuesday acknowledged at least six names that he said are on his vice presidential shortlist.
During a Fox News town hall event in Greenville, South Carolina, host Laura Ingraham asked the former president about six potential running mates, including three of his erstwhile GOP primary rivals: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott.
She also cited Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) and former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate who left the party in 2022 after aligning herself increasingly with the political right.
“Are they all on your shortlist?” Ingraham asked.
After going off on a brief tangent, he added, “Honestly, all of those people are good. They’re all good. They’re all solid.”
He also singled out Scott, pointing out the senator in the audience, saying, “A lot of people are talking about that gentleman right over there.”
“He has been much better for me than he was for himself,” he said of his former competitor, who endorsed Trump and repeatedly kissed the ring after dropping out of the race in November.
Scott has campaigned heavily for the GOP front-runner ahead of South Carolina’s Feb. 24 primary, where Trump faces off against the state’s former governor, Nikki Haley.
Several other names have been thrown around as potential Trump running mates, including Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), whom he has reportedly praised as a possible choice.
