(USNewsMag.com) – A new leaked audio recording may provide some insight into former President Donald Trump’s thoughts about who he is considering tapping as a running mate.
The audio was captured during the Republican National Committee (RNC) spring retreat hosted by Trump in Florida at his Mar-a-Lago estate over the weekend, on Saturday, May 4th. Trump surrounded himself with notable party members, major donors, and potential running-mates, to whom he delivered a 90-minute speech about his agenda if re-elected to the White House.
The leaked audio found that only a few contenders for the running mate spot were discussed or mentioned while others were not, such as former GOP primary candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, who was in attendance but not mentioned by Trump.
Trump did mention South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem in a brief shout-out at the retreat, although she was not there. She has long been rumored to be Trump’s top choice, but recent controversy surrounding the governor may have dashed any hopes of becoming vice president.
After she posted an excerpt from her new book describing an event in which she killed one of her rancher dogs following a hunting trip, Noem sparked widespread criticism from Democrats and Republicans alike, who felt her handling of the situation was unethical. Defenders of Noem argue that such incidents are common in farm or ranch life and that the average person doesn’t understand the difference between working animals and house pets.
Trump called Noem somebody that he loves and said she was with him as a supporter “for a long time,” and that he’s been equally supportive of her.
The former president mentioned some other representatives rumored to be on his running-mate radar, such as Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, chair of the House Republican conference, who Trump said was “a very smart person.” The name of Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina was also mentioned, who Trump said “did a good job” as a presidential candidate. And Trump said the name of Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida is “coming up a lot” as a suggested running mate.
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