Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is currently the second-leading Republican for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, has broken his silence about whether he would ever consider being former President Donald Trump’s running mate and vice president.
DeSantis, in an interview on the Wisconsin Right Now podcast, said he had no interest in being Trump’s VP.
“I don’t think so. I’m not a number two guy, I think I’m a leader — governor of Florida,” DeSantis said. “I’ve been able to accomplish a lot. I think I probably could do more staying there than being VP, which doesn’t really have any authority.”
When questioned about his potential running mates, including the possibility of selecting Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as his vice presidential candidate, the governor responded by acknowledging their alignment on specific matters. However, he clarified his preference for a “conservative” candidate over a “liberal Democrat.”
“I’m taking it one step at a time,” said DeSantis. “I think it’s a little bit presumptuous to be doing that at this stage. I’m here to win the early primaries, and that’s what we’ve got to do first.”
Speculation has been rife for months regarding who Trump will pick as his 2024 running mate. While nothing official has been announced, another name has emerged as a possibility.
Speaking to Newsweek, Larry Elder said he would “take the call” if Trump or DeSantis offered to make him their 2024 running mate. Elder, who is running for president in 2024, urged Republicans to “unite behind a candidate whose last name is other than Trump” in order to “win in November 2024.”
When asked by Newsweek if he would consider being Trump’s running mate, Elder replied: “I am running for president, I’m not running for vice president, I’m not running for a cabinet position. However, in the unlikely event I’m not the party nominee, and if Trump or DeSantis or one of the other persons call and ask me to be vice president, I will take the call. I won’t let it go to voicemail.”
Elder, who called himself a “big fan of Donald Trump” and someone he “backed in 2016 and 2020,” argued that the 45th president has been “attacked” so many times he would struggle to appeal to key voters in the 2024 race.
“Here’s the problem; I believe there are so many swing voters in swing states who would not vote for the man if he walked on water,” Elder said. “In fact, they would accuse him of not being able to swim. I have no idea what to do about Trump derangement syndrome—maybe someday somebody will develop a vaccine.”
“I think at some point in this long process Republican voters are doing to realize in order to win in November 2024 they’re going to have to unite behind a candidate whose last name is other than Trump, but for whom a sufficient number of swing voters and swing states will vote so we can win in November 2024, and I’m making the case that I’m that person,” Elder added.
Trump’s team recently shared some interesting insight into his potential running mate.
Trump insiders spoke to the Daily Caller and said the 45th president is likely to pick a vice presidential candidate that is “loyal,” has “charisma,” and is “ideologically aligned” with him.
“No candidates have publicly announced their intent to be Trump’s VP, but the former president has indicated that ‘a lot of people’ are ‘auditioning’ behind the scenes. Trump insiders told the Caller that although there haven’t been any formal discussions to narrow down the pool, there are a set of characteristics that will likely be considered,” the Daily Caller reported.
“We do know one thing about Trump, is that he puts a lot of weight on how well you present yourself. That really matters to him, so I suspect that will matter for his VP choice,” a GOP consultant close to Trump told the Caller, adding that the person needs to be “TV ready.”
