(RepublicanPress.org) – According to recent average polling reported by FiveThirtyEight, former President Donald Trump is ahead in the Republican primary election, polling 66.2%, compared to former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley at 12.3% and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis coming in third with only 11.1% as of January 21, ahead of DeSantis ending his bid for the White House. Although Trump hasn’t been voted in as the GOP nominee yet, people are speculating who he might pick for vice president.
Who’s In the Running?
On January 17, NBC News indicated that Trump might pick Representative Elise Stefanik (R-NY) as his running mate if he becomes the nominee. The news outlet described a time in December 2023 when the former president was attending a dinner with a group of people at his Mar-a-Lago property. The subject of his vice presidential pick reportedly surfaced, and Stefanik’s name came up. According to a dinner attendee, Trump previously stated he was impressed by the New York lawmaker’s hard-hitting questions concerning antisemitism on college campuses.
When her name came up at the table, the former president reportedly nodded and said, “She’s a killer.” Those in Trump’s camp have apparently been looking at the legislator to determine if she’s up for the task, even before the hearing. In fact, former Chief White House Strategist Steve Bannon (R) said Stefanik was at the top of the list. According to him, loyalty is Trump’s number one concern, a quality she apparently possesses. A GOP campaign operative said Trump views former Vice President Mike Pence as “having made a fatal sin,” which is why he’s looking for someone loyal.
NBC News reported that bringing her on could also boost fundraising for the Trump campaign.
Stefanik Joining Trump on Campaign Trail
After NBC News published the story suggesting Stefanik as the top potential vice presidential pick, the New York lawmaker announced on social media that she would be joining Trump on the “campaign trail in New Hampshire on behalf” of her state and America. It’s unclear if the former president invited her to join him while campaigning for the upcoming state primary or if she took it upon herself to come along. Still, Stefanik told the news outlet that she was focusing on her role in Congress and wouldn’t comment as to whether she was interested in running with Trump in 2024. She called him a “friend” and said she wasn’t going to go into details about private conversations she may have had with the former president.
However, during a previous interview on “Meet the Press,” she didn’t rule out the possibility.
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