A new name has been entered into the guessing game over who former President Donald Trump would pick as a running mate if he is successful in becoming the Republican Party’s 2024 presidential nominee.
“I see no better fit than Elise Stefanik, but the president will take his own counsel,” said Mike Caputo, an adviser and friend of the former president, according to the Daily Caller.
The New York Republican congresswoman is the chair of the House Republican Conference, emerged as a staunch defender of Trump during his two impeachment proceedings, and has already said she supports his candidacy. Together, that gives her high marks in an area Trump prizes above all others — loyalty.
“Loyalty. That’s the necessary characteristic of anyone who wants to be V.P. President Trump and the movement was dragged down by disloyalty in the White House,” the Daily Caller quoted someone it said was a “source close to Trump.”
Caputo called Stefanik “young, dynamic, really bright and engaging.”
“She absolutely has more, let’s just call it ‘testicular fortitude’ than most men in the Republican Party. She’s got more balls than any other candidate that might be considered for vice president,” Caputo said.
Caputo said Stefanik, who represents a large swath of northern New York state, could be a key factor in the neighboring swing state of Pennsylvania.
“She’s one of the most convincing surrogates [for Trump] out of all of them. In some ways, Elise Stefanik, because of her distance from the problems of the past of Donald Trump, will be able to make a case for Donald Trump better than the candidate himself,” he argued.
The Daily Caller noted its sources said key factors for Trump are that his running mate be “ideologically aligned” with Trump, have “charisma” and be “TV ready.”
Should Rep. Elise Stefanik be Donald Trump’s 2024 running mate?
Yes: 71% (60 Votes)
No: 29% (24 Votes)
“It’s always seemed to me that it will be a woman,” the Daily Caller quoted what it called “an official supporting Trump’s election effort.”
“Whenever I’ve talked to people who worked in Trump world, it’s always assumed to be someone like Elise Stefanik or some other woman candidate,” the source said.
A report last month by Axios suggested Trump wants a female running mate to boost his performance with white suburban women.
The report offered four names for consideration — Kari Lake of Arizona, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who was White House press secretary for part of the Trump presidency, and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem.
NBC has suggested Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia is also a name in the running, saying she wants the post.
Steven Cheung, a spokesman for Trump told Axios only Trump knows what he wants to do.
“Anyone who thinks they know what President Trump is going to do is seriously misinformed and trying to curry favor with ‘potential’ V.P. candidates,” he said.
“President Trump will choose his running mate on his own time, and those who are playing the media game are doing so at their own peril.”
