By Haisten Willis, White House Reporter. Media: Washington Examiner.
If former President Donald Trump is the Republican nominee next year, he'll be running with a new vice president. Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence are on the outs after the former Indiana governor refused to entertain stolen election schemes. So Trump — who is far ahead of rivals, such as Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) and Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) — would be seeking a new name on his ticket. Here are a few of his options. Kari Lake [caption id="attachment_7764" align="alignnone" width="1290"]
Kari Lake speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC 2023, Saturday, March 4, 2023, at National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Md.(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)[/caption] Lake has proven she's not opposed to claiming elections were stolen, giving her a leg up on any Pence-style picks. The former TV anchor narrowly lost her 2022 Arizona gubernatorial race and has cried fraud ever since. Lake could help Trump court suburban white women in 2024, a group he struggled with in 2020. She has already made a trip to Iowa, the first state to vote in next year's party primaries. Vivek Ramaswamy [caption id="attachment_7765" align="alignnone" width="1290"]
Republican presidential candidate businessman Vivek Ramaswamy speaks at the Republican Party of Iowa's 2023 Lincoln Dinner in Des Moines, Iowa, Friday, July 28, 2023.(AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)[/caption] The 37-year-old said he was not interested, but his actions may speak otherwise. Ramaswamy is an entrepreneur who has outperformed expectations in the GOP race, grabbing the third-place spot behind Trump and DeSantis. He said he's not interested in being vice president but has also been a strong defender of Trump through his recent legal troubles. Ramaswamy even filed a lawsuit against the Department of Justice in the wake of its latest indictment, showcasing a measure of loyalty to the front-runner. Sarah Huckabee Sanders [caption id="attachment_7766" align="alignnone" width="1290"]
Sarah Huckabee Sanders speaks during her election night party, on Nov. 8, 2022, in Little Rock, Ark.(AP Photo/Will Newton, File)[/caption] Trump's former press secretary has become a young executive, leading Arkansas as its governor at the age of 40. She hasn't endorsed him, but the two have a strong history together, and Sanders could pull in some suburban votes. Kristi Noem [caption id="attachment_7767" align="alignnone" width="1290"]
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem speaks at the National Rifle Association Convention, Friday, April 14, 2023, in Indianapolis.(AP Photo/Darron Cummings)[/caption] Another red-state governor, Noem was seen as a presidential candidate at one point but decided not to run. She predicts that Trump will be the Republican nominee while declining to endorse him so far. Noem is often mentioned by Trump confidants as having vice president potential, according to Axios. Nikki Haley [caption id="attachment_7770" align="alignnone" width="1290"]
Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley speaks at the Moms for Liberty meeting in Philadelphia, Friday, June 30, 2023.(AP Photo/Matt Rourke)[/caption] Haley also said she's only interested in the top job but is polling at around 4% to date. She brings a lot to the table as a former South Carolina governor and a woman of color who already served in the Trump administration as ambassador to the United Nations. While Haley would seem like a strong fit, the pair have been on the outs of late. She was more dismissive of his latest indictment compared to some rivals, saying she's tired of commenting on every Trump drama. That led the former president to go after Haley on her home turf, saying she was afraid to show up at a GOP gala. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) [caption id="attachment_7771" align="alignnone" width="1290"]
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene speaks to people before former President Donald Trump speaks during a rally, Saturday, July 1, 2023, in Pickens, S.C.(AP Photo/Chris Carlson)[/caption] Always a wild card, Greene is a true Trump supporter who brings instant name recognition and energy to the race. But to the extent that Trump is interested in moderate votes, Greene could backfire as a vice presidential candidate. In any case, her attention may be focused elsewhere, namely on attempts to impeach President Joe Biden.
