Republican Sen. Tim Scott indicated Wednesday that he might be joining former President Donald Trump on the Republican presidential ticket this year.
“I hear there’s a debate in July,” Scott said after Newsmax host Eric Bolling brought up the subject.
“If you’re the guy moderating, maybe I’ll be talking to you. We’ll see what happens,” he said.
“You and I will both will agree that America is the greatest country because anyone from anywhere can rise to the place of having this conversation. And I thank God that we, the United States of America, we will continue to be the greatest land on the planet. But we need a new president, and that’s Donald Trump,” Scott said.
Bolling then asked if Scott would be Trump’s running mate.
“We’ll see, we’ll see,” Scott said.
Although Trump has offered multiple hints over time of who might be his vice presidential candidate, he has shied away from a definitive announcement, with names including Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York and Sens. JD Vance of Ohio and Marco Rubio of Florida on the ever-fluid list of names bandied about in the media.
In a new interview, Trump said he may not formally announce his decision until the Republican convention in Milwaukee, according to The Hill.
Would Sen. Tim Scott be a good VP pick?
“That’s probably a pretty good chance, I would say. I don’t say anything’s 100 percent, but you’re getting pretty close. I’ll be doing it in Milwaukee, we’ll be — we’re gonna have a great time,” Trump told Scripps News.
North Dakota Gov, Doug Burgum, who briefly entered the GOP contest for the presidential nomination, is a name in the headlines this week after he joined Trump for a New Jersey rally, according to The Hill.
“You won’t find anybody better than this gentleman in terms of his knowledge. … He made his money in technology, but he probably knows more about energy than anybody I know, so get ready for something,” Trump said of Burgum. “OK, just get ready.”
“[Trump] obviously wants a partner, wants somebody he can trust, somebody who can be effective in helping him advance his agenda, somebody who can help him win, and I think Burgum checks a lot of boxes,” Republican consultant Matt Mackowiak said.
Others who pop up on the list NBC generated include former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, former GOP nomination rival Vivek Ramaswamy, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, host Tucker Carlson, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, and Republican Reps. Byron Donalds of Florida and Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia.
“Senator Tim Scott: “This invasion is insane. We need four more years of Donald Trump to secure our border. He’s done it once. He will do it again.”” pic.twitter.com/pRYG7Jq8yK
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) February 3, 2024
In a February interview, Trump heaped praise on Scott.
“You know, I called Tim Scott and a lot of people like Tim Scott, and I said you’re a much better candidate for me than you are for yourself,” Trump said, according to Fox News. “When I watched him, he was fine. He was good, he was fine, but he was very low key.”
“I watched him in the last week, defending me and sticking up for me and fighting for me — I said, ‘Man, you’re a much better person for me than you are for yourself,” Trump said.