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Trump Hints At VP Pick Hours After DeSantis Calls It Quits

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Who will be Donald Trump’s next running mate? America is waiting with bated breath…

On Saturday, Trump hinted that people likely won’t be shocked by his choice but stopped short of sharing any more details.

Fox News chief political anchor Bret Baier asked Trump in New Hampshire about when he will decide who could join him on the ticket if he secures the nomination, Trump answered, “Well, it’s never really had that much of an effect on an election, which is an amazing thing, both election and primary. It’s never really had much of an effect.”

“I may or may not really [decide] something over the next couple of months. There’s no rush to that. It won’t have any impact at all. The person that I think I like is a very good person, a pretty standard. I think people won’t be that surprised, but I would say there’s probably a 25 percent chance that would be that person,” Trump continued.

Earlier this month, Trump signaled he’s already made his decision on a running mate. (RELATED: Trump Says He’s Selected VP Choice)

“I can’t tell you that really, I mean, I know who it’s going to be,” Trump said when he was asked who his running mate will be in 2024.

Baier asked Trump if South Carlina Sen. Tim Scott, who ended his campaign in November, is among those being considered for the position.

“You know, [Scott] endorsed me. There’s an example, [Nikki Haley] comes from South Carolina, Tim Scott is from South Carolina. But if you look [at] the governor, great governor, another senator [Lindsey Graham]. We happen to like Lindsey,” Trump said. “But, [Gov. Henry McMaster (R)] knows it very well. He endorsed me. It’s very hard for a governor to endorse somebody when you haven’t … I mean, Henry McMaster was the lieutenant governor under her and he endorsed me … What does that tell you?”

In a Fox News town hall in Iowa earlier this month, Trump indicated he would be willing to consider any of the people who ran against him.

“I’ve already started to like [Chris Christie] better,” Trump said, in reference to the former New Jersey governor who dropped out of the primary race earlier this month. Christie and Trump have had a tumultuous relationship over the years, with Christie’s 2024 campaign largely squared on criticizing the former president.

On Sunday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis officially ended his presidential campaign, spurring rumors the Republican could be teaming up with Trump.

However, Trump said it’s “highly unlikely” he’d ask Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) to serve in a second Trump administration after DeSantis ended his own presidential campaign and endorsed him.

“It’s probably unlikely,” Trump said after DeSantis dropped out of the race. “But I have to be honest: Everything’s a possibility, but I think it’s highly unlikely. I have a lot of great people, and I have great people that have been with me right from the beginning.”

Report: DeSantis Drops Out Of 2024 Contest

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On Sunday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis officially paused his 2024 presidential campaign.

The Hill has more:

“Following our second-place finish in Iowa, we’ve prayed and deliberated on our way forward,” DeSantis said in a video message posted on X, a few hours ahead of an event he had scheduled in New Hampshire. “If there was anything I could do to produce a favorable outcome, more campaign stops, more interviews, I would do it. But I can’t ask our supporters to volunteer their time and donate their resources if we don’t have a clear path to victory. Accordingly, I am today suspending my campaign.”

“It’s clear to me that a majority of Republican primary voters want to give Donald Trump another chance,” the governor continued. “While I have had disagreements with Donald Trump such as on the coronavirus pandemic and his elevation of Anthony Fauci, Trump is superior to the current incumbent Joe Biden. That is clear.” 

DeSantis went on to signal his support for Trump while knocking former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley. 

“I signed a pledge to support the Republican nominee and I will honor that pledge. He has my endorsement because we can’t go back to the old Republican guard of yesteryear. A repackaged form of warmed-over corporatism that Nikki Haley represents.” 

This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

Trump Says He’s Selected VP Choice

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Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

During a town hall event hosted by Fox News on Wednesday, Donald Trump revealed he has decided who will be his running mate if he becomes the Republican nominee for president.

“I can’t tell you that really, I mean, I know who it’s going to be,” Trump said when he was asked who his running mate will be in 2024.

“We’ll do another show sometime,” Trump said when pushed by host Martha MacCallum to “give us a hint.”

“What about any of the people who you’ve run against?” MacCallum asked. “Would you be open to mending fences with any of them?”

“Oh, sure. I will, I will,” Trump responded. “I’ve already started to like Christie better.”

Hours before Trump’s event with Fox News, the former New Jersey governor announced he is dropping out of the 2024 contest.

MacCallum then jokingly asked if Trump would consider Christie as a running mate.

“I don’t see it, I don’t see it,” Trump said. “That would be an upset. Christie for vice president. Ladies and Gentlemen, I’d like to announce, nah.”

Report: Christie Dropping Out Of 2024 Race

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Maryland GovPics, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

New reports indicate former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is planning to end his presidential campaign very soon.

Mediaite has more:

Journalist Mark Halperin broke the news on his Substack after speaking with two anonymous sources.

Halperin wrote that the Christie campaign was expected to make an announcement at 5 p.m. Eastern time. Christie is not expected to immediately announce an endorsement.

This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

Christie Predicts Trump Will Become GOP Nominee If He Wins New Hampshire

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Maryland GovPics, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) predicted that if Donald Trump wins the New Hampshire primary later this month he will more than likely move on to become the party’s nominee.

While speaking at a town hall event in New Hampshire, Christie warned that Nikki Haley’s popularity in her home state of South Carolina will not be enough to deter Trump if he wins the Granite State. South Carolina’s primary comes next month.

“If he wins here, don’t expect South Carolina to save us; it’s not going to happen,” the former New Jersey governor told the crowd Tuesday. “So you all are the ones who are going to make the call here.”

Trump currently leads with 41.5 percent support in The Hill/Decision Desk HQ’s polling average of the state. Haley, the former South Carolina governor, places second with just more than 30 percent. Christie trails in a distant third place with 11.5 percent.

Christie expressed doubts at the town hall about Haley’s ability and interest in defeating Trump for the nomination.

He argued she is not actually running to beat Trump because she said in the past she would pardon him if he’s convicted in any of his criminal trials. She also has not ruled out being the former president’s running mate, Christie added.

“Let’s say I dropped out of the race right now and I supported Nikki Haley. And then three months from now, four months from now, when you’re ready to go to the convention, she comes out as his vice president. What will I look like?” he said. “What will all the people who supported her at my behest look like?” 

Republican Gov. Warns Against Haley For Vice President

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South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) said former President Trump should not pick fellow GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley as his running mate.

Noem was asked by Newsmax’s Eric Bolling if it would be a mistake if Trump chose Haley to be his vice presidential pick and she only has one answer. She quickly replied “yes.”

“But if he picked her, I would tell him I disagreed with him. But then I would support the ticket, because he’s still the president and the president still makes the decisions,” Noem said Tuesday.

The popular South Dakota Governor has previously said she would be Trump’s running mate “in a heartbeat.” In September, the former president said he likes “the concept” of a female vice president but hadn’t given much thought to whom he would choose.

Noem is reportedly among a group of rumored candidates, including Haley.

“And you know, I just, I’ve had a lot of disagreement with Nikki Haley over the years, and I just don’t know which Nikki Haley is going to show up every day,” Noem said, highlighted by Mediaite. “She’s a different person depending on whatever works for her political agenda.”

“So, I just, what I love about President Trump, or what I think the American people love about President Trump, is that he’s just himself and he’s just genuine,” Noem continued. “He’s just a normal human being who tells the truth, and gets up every day fighting for people. He has no reason to do this job other than the fact that he really truly does believe in America. And he wants to put the people out there — they get up every day and go to work. He wants to put them first.”

Trump Scores Endorsement From Top House Republicans

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Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Donald Trump is scoring endorsements left and right…

On Tuesday, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), the No. 2 Republican in the House, endorsed former President Trump in his 2024 presidential bid.

“I am proud to endorse Donald Trump for president in 2024, and I look forward to working with President Trump and a Republican House and Senate to fight for those families who are struggling under the weight of Biden’s failed policies,” Scalise wrote in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

In a statement reported by Fox News, Scalise focused on migration issues at the southern border and economic metrics during Trump’s first term in office.

“The economy was strong and interest rates were low — grocery costs were affordable, and families could afford to buy a house and provide for their children,” Scalise said in the statement. “The border was secure and crime was down. America had secure energy policies, keeping gas and utility prices low.”

And he hit President Biden on border enforcement.

“Fiscal Year 2023 surpassed Fiscal Year 2022 as the worst year at the border with the most migrant encounters on record, 169 individuals on the terrorist watchlist apprehended attempting to enter illegally, and over 27,000 pounds of fentanyl seized by the CPB,” Scalise said. “In Joe Biden’s America, our communities aren’t safe.”

On Wednesday, Trump solidified his support from House GOP leaders with Tom Emmer’s official endorsement.

“Democrats have made clear they will use every tool in their arsenal to try and keep Joe Biden and his failed policies in power. We cannot let them. It’s time for Republicans to unite behind our party’s clear frontrunner, which is why I am proud to endorse Donald J. Trump for President,” Emmer said in a statement posted Wednesday to X, formerly known as Twitter.

Emmer had previously indicated in an interview with The Hill last year that he might not endorse a candidate in the primary.

Biden’s Support Dips Among Key Voting Blocs As Trump Surges Ahead

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Joe Biden via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Not a good start to the New Year for Joe Biden…

The latest poll conducted by USA Today and Suffolk University reported Biden is losing with several of the key demographics that helped him win the White House in 2020.

The Hill has more:

Biden earned 34 percent support among Hispanic voters surveyed, compared to Trump’s 39 percent. That marks a large decline since 2020, when Biden earned 65 percent of the demographic group.

The president has also lost support from Black voters. After carrying 87 percent support in the demographic in 2020, Biden now has just 63 percent, the survey found.

His support from younger voters has dropped as well. In 2020, Biden crushed Trump by 24 points among the group. But the survey found that Trump now leads among voters under 35 with 37 percent support to Biden’s 33 percent.

However, the USA Today poll noted that many Black voters are opting to shift their support to third party candidates instead of Trump.

Twenty percent of Hispanic and Black voters surveyed and 21 percent of younger voters say they will support someone other than Trump or Biden.

Trump Accuses GOP Primary Rivals Of Trying To Rig Iowa Caucus

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In a Tuesday video message, former President Donald Trump urged supporters to show up for the 2024 Iowa Caucus while accusing his opponents of cheating.

Trump began the video clip posted to Truth Social by thanking his “Trump caucus captains” and urging them to “turn out” their voters on caucus night.

“Teach them how to caucus. Take them in your car on caucus night. If you have to do whatever is necessary, we’ve got to get them in. We got to make America great again. So do whatever it takes. If you do, we will win and win big,” Trump said in what began as a fairly standard political message.

Trump then accused the process of being rigged.

“And that’s what you have to do. You know, the other side does cheat!” he insisted, adding:

And we’re not going to let that happen. We cannot let that happen. But that’s what we need from you. Get in your car, get a lot of people and get down and caucus. Give a great speech for me. I hope you will. And I know you will have such confidence in you as you had in me. And you have in me.

During the 2016 presidential contest, Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas) beat Trump in the Iowa Caucus and was accused of cheating, according to Mediaite.

“Based on the fraud committed by Senator Ted Cruz during the Iowa Caucus, either a new election should take place or Cruz results nullified,” Trump added and later threatened to sue.

GOP Lt. Governor Suggests Removing Biden From Texas Ballot

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Joe Biden via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Republicans want revenge…

Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick floated removing President Biden from the state’s primary ballot as a response to the Colorado Supreme Court’s shock ruling.

“Seeing what happened in Colorado tonight … makes me think — except we believe in democracy in Texas — maybe we should take Joe Biden off the ballot in Texas for allowing 8 million people to cross the border since he’s been president, disrupting our state far more than anything anyone else has done in recent history,” Patrick said in an interview with Fox News anchor Laura Ingraham.

On Tuesday, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled to remove Donald Trump from the 2024 state ballot, citing the 14th Amendment’s so-called insurrection clause. (RELATED: Colorado Supreme Court Bans Trump From Ballot)

The 4-3 ruling cited the 14th Amendment and argued Trump was involved in an insurrection by prompting false claims of election fraud and directing his supporters to go toward the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Trump’s campaign has vowed to appeal the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court.