President Donald Trump may be seriously considering Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) as his running mate for 2024, a close adviser has suggested.
Trump has yet to reveal who he would pick to run as his vice president 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,” Mike Caputo, an adviser and friend of Trump, reportedly told the Daily Caller.
A rising star in the Republican Party, Stefanik is the chair of the House Republican Conference.
The congresswoman has emerged as a staunch defender of Trump during his two impeachment proceedings.
She has already said she supports his candidacy.
Stefanik also scores highly in an area Trump prizes above all others — loyalty.
“Loyalty,” the Daily Caller quoted a “source close to Trump.”
“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.”
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,” Caputo said.
“She’s got more balls than any other candidate that might be considered for vice president.”
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.”
“It’s always seemed to me that it will be a woman,” the Daily Caller quoted “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.
Last month, a report 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 (R-GA) 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.”
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