US former president Donald Trump on Sunday stoked rumours about his choice for a running mate in 2024 by mentioning Senator Tim Scott and Governor Kristi Noem of South Dakota in response to a question about his preference for the vice president contenders, The Hill reported.
During an interview with Fox News's Maria Bartiromo for "Sunday Morning Futures," Trump said, "Not for a while," when asked when he would announce his choice for vice president.
After Trump said, "There are a lot of good people," Bartiromo questioned whether Trump had still not chosen one of them.
"I haven't, and there's no reason," Trump responded by saying.
He continued, saying he talks to "everyone" and disclosed that he recently spoke with Tim Scott, who withdrew his presidential run last year and then endorsed Trump wholeheartedly.
"I called him and I said, 'You are a much better candidate for me, than you were for yourself," he said. "When I watched Tim, he was fine, he was good, but he was very low-key. I watched him in the last week, defending me, and sticking up for me and fighting for me," reported The Hill.
Subsequently, Trump said Kristi Noem has "been incredible fighting" for him, citing her declaration that she would never challenge him "because [she] can't beat him."
The names of Tim Scott and Kristi Noem have been in circulation lately, along with a few others, according to The Hill.
After winning in New Hampshire and Iowa, Trump has a commanding lead over the last significant opponent of the Republican Party, former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
