South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, 52, has commented on reports that she is not a finalist for former President Donald Trump’s vice-presidential pick. Despite this, Noem continues to support Trump and urges him to choose a woman as his running mate.
“I’ve told President Trump over and over again he needs to pick whoever helps him win. I have been loyal to him since the very beginning,” Noem said on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday. “I don’t care. I love my job in South Dakota. I care about the fact that I want him to win.”
Reports say Trump has narrowed his list of potential VP candidates to at least eight people:
- North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum
- Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.)
- Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio)
- Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.)
- Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC)
- Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.)
- Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY)
- Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson
Some of these candidates have been asked to complete more detailed vetting forms. Trump, 77, plans to announce his VP pick at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from July 15-18.
Noem believes a female VP candidate could help Trump win, noting that many Republican women are undecided and want to hear from another woman about the issues.
The only woman on Trump’s reported shortlist is Rep. Elise Stefanik, which suggests Noem might be hinting that Trump should pick her.
In the 2020 election, President Joe Biden’s running mate, Kamala Harris, became the first woman elected vice president. Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. also chose a woman, Nicole Shanahan, as his vice-presidential candidate.
Noem was once seen as a potential VP candidate, but faced controversy after revealing in her book that she had shot the family dog nearly two decades ago due to safety concerns for her young children.
“I’m a mom and protected my children from a vicious animal,” Noem said on Sunday. “People are put in tough situations in life, and we learn from it.”