The 2024 veepstakes have reportedly evolved into a contest of who can shower the most compliments on Donald Trump.
More than a half-dozen Republicans with aspirations to be the former president’s running mate took the stage Friday at the Conservative Political Action Conference, an annual gathering just outside Washington that draws thousands of MAGA-hat wearing Trump supporters, reported Politico.
While there, they took turns showing their reverence for the former president — with each putting their own unique spin on it.
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem criticized those who challenged Trump for the Republican presidential nomination — a group that includes two ousted primary candidates-turned-vice presidential prospects: South Carolina Senator Tim Scott and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.
“Why did all these other people and candidates get into the race?” she asked. “For themselves? For personal benefit? For a spotlight for a period of time?”
Representative Elise Stefanik repeatedly associated herself with the former president, calling her upstate New York district “Trump and Elise Country” and stating that, like Trump, she had been “underestimated … at every turn.”
Then there was Florida Rep. Byron Donalds, who likened Trump to sports greats like Michael Jordan, Bill Belichick and Tom Brady — figures whom he said were “tough” and “held everybody accountable.”
Presidential candidates have long valued loyalty in determining who their vice presidents should be. But those looking to be Trump’s second-in-command recognize that he particularly prizes that trait.
Trump split bitterly with his vice president, Mike Pence, after Pence refused his orders to not certify the 2020 presidential election results. And as the search process for a vice presidential candidate kicks off, there are strong indications loyalty is on Trump’s mind.
“I’ve talked to him about the kind of pain he went through because of the people who he thought were on his team. They write books, they get CNN contracts,” CPAC Chair Matt Schlapp, a longtime Trump ally who oversees the conference, told Politico. “I don’t think he’s interested in conducting a lot of experiments on loyalty. I think it’s going to be very important to him in key positions.”
The veepstakes were top of mind for attendees gathered at CPAC, not least because the conference’s annual straw poll is centered on who should be Trump’s pick.
Trump has given little indication of who he is favoring for vice president, though he has said he is looking for someone who can step into the role of president if needed.
This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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