Trump rallies with Gov. Noem in possible vice president hint

Former President Donald Trump headed to South Dakota on Friday for a fundraiser with Gov. Kristi Noem in a visit that puts a fresh spotlight on the possible vice presidential candidate and others who might be on the short list to join his ticket.

With Trump maintaining a commanding lead in the Republican presidential primary, GOP insiders are starting to focus on his potential choice for a 2024 running mate and Noem checks some of the most important boxes.

Although little known nationally, Noem is a staunch MAGA conservative, a female heartland governor and an effective, youthful campaigner.

Noem has also built a strong personal bond with Trump, including hosting a rally in the shadow of the state’s famed Mount Rushmore. She later gave him an imitation model of the landmark with his own visage appearing alongside other iconic presidents like George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.

Matthew Dowd, who served as the main reelection campaign strategist for President George W. Bush, compared her to another little known small state governor with very conservative views.

“She’s sort of the South Dakota version of Sarah Palin,” Dowd said on MSNBC.

Noem is just one of a handful of people regularly mentioned as potential running mates for Trump.

Trump himself has called the Republican presidential debates, which he has so far vowed to skip, as de facto auditions for the No. 2 spot on his ticket.

Many of the possible veeps are women or people of color, a nod to the fact Trump might want to use the vice presidential pick to widen his appeal beyond his MAGA base of white working class voters.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Georgia., also makes no secret of her ambitions.

The sharp-elbowed MAGA stalwart is reportedly jostling for Trump’s eye with Kari Lake, the losing Arizona gubernatorial candidate.

Lake is a telegenic former news reporter adept at brushing off criticism.

MTG and Lake hail from key battleground states. But they are also not particularly popular in those states so it’s not at all clear whether they would help or hurt Trump.

GOP analysts concede most of the Trump veepstakes chatter is pure speculation and Trump’s own feelings about potential candidates will loom large.