Former President Donald Trump has revealed he likes "the concept" of selecting a woman as his vice presidential pick in the 2024 presidential election, though he also stated he is not currently thinking too much on the topic.
Trump's statement on selecting a woman as his running mate in the next election comes after months of speculation that he would do so, with several prominent women in the Republican Party listed as his potential candidates. However, Trump stated in a recent interview that he is focused on winning the presidential election and prefers "not to think too much" on his vice presidential pick.
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"You always do a little bit, but I really don’t think it’s time," Trump said. "I want to win, and, you know, it’s very interesting about running mates, when you get down to a vice president, they said, 'Nobody has ever made that kind of a difference.' It’s still about the person that’s going to be president."
When asked if he was considering a woman for vice president, Trump responded that he likes "the concept" of doing so but that he would pick "the best person." The former president was also asked about selecting Gov. Kristi Noem (R-SD) to serve as his vice president after she recently endorsed his 2024 presidential run.
"I think she's fantastic," Trump said. "She's been a great governor. She gave me a very full-throated endorsement, a beautiful endorsement, actually. It’s been a very good state for me, and certainly she would be one of the people I would consider or for something else, maybe. We have a lot of great people in the Republican Party."
Noem endorsed Trump during a rally in South Dakota earlier this month, delivering a speech in the vein of an audition to be his running mate. When asked earlier this year about serving as vice president with him, she said she would "do all I can to help him be successful" if he became president again.
Other women Trump is reportedly considering for vice president include former Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC), and Gov. Sarah Sanders (R-AR).
Trump is still leading the Republican Party's 2024 primary race, beating out the other candidates, such as Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), business entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley. With Trump leading in the Republican primary race, it sets up a rematch between him and President Joe Biden.
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The latest polling bodes well for the former president. Trump scored 44% of the vote from respondents against Biden's 40%. When running against Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump performed a little better at 46% to Harris's 40%, according to the most recent Harvard-Harris poll.
The Washington Examiner contacted Noem's office for comment.