Trump's vice president race heats up following private Mar-a-Lago meetup

Palm Beach, Florida - Donald Trump's potential vice president picks met up during a private event over the weekend, and quickly hit the media circuit soon after to vie for the position.

Following a private meetup on Saturday, several of Donald Trump's (top c.) potential running mates, including (from l. to r.) Tim Scott, Elise Stefanik, Marco Robio, and Kristi Noem, did interviews to show their loyalty to his re-election campaign.
Following a private meetup on Saturday, several of Donald Trump's (top c.) potential running mates, including (from l. to r.) Tim Scott, Elise Stefanik, Marco Robio, and Kristi Noem, did interviews to show their loyalty to his re-election campaign.  © Collage: ALEX WONG, JUSTIN SULLIVAN, Kevin Dietsch, JOE RAEDLE, & Anna Moneymaker / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP & SAUL LOEB / AFP

On Saturday, Trump, along with the Republican National Convention, hosted a closed-door fundraising event at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida.

Very little is known about the private meetup, or if the subject of choosing his running mate was even brought up, but one thing is certain - it seemed to have sparked a fire in the potential picks. Several took to the airwaves the very next day to demonstrate their steadfast loyalty to Trump.

South Carolina Senator Tim Scott went on NBC's Meet the Press, and when he was pressed on if he would accept the results of the 2024 election, something Trump has recently sowed doubt into, he refused to give a yes or a no.

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"I look forward to President Trump being the 47th president," he said repeatedly in response, later adding, "That is my statement."

North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum sat down with CNN, where he tried to argue that while he believes President Joe Biden won the 2020 elections, there were a "huge number of irregularities" in the results due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

New York Representative and House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik made an appearance on the Fox News show Sunday Morning Futures, where she said she was "honored" to be on Trump's shortlist for VP, and said the list of rivals represent the "strength" of the Republican Party.

Florida Senator Marco Rubio also spoke with Fox News, and used his time to further push Trump's false narrative that Democrats want to allow abortions up to "the day of birth."

He also noted that critics are missing the bigger picture: Trump has to decide on much more than just a running mate.

"The amount of talent that we have in the Republican Party is extraordinary," he explained. "He doesn’t just have a bunch of choices for VP. He has a bunch of choices for cabinet."

Who will Donald Trump choose as his vice president running mate?

2024 presidential candidate Donald Trump gesturing to photographers as he visited the Miami International Autodrome in Miami Gardens, Florida, on Sunday.
2024 presidential candidate Donald Trump gesturing to photographers as he visited the Miami International Autodrome in Miami Gardens, Florida, on Sunday.  © JIM WATSON / AFP

While this weekend's event at Mar-a-Lago was closed off to all press, Axios reported audio obtained of a private luncheon reveals Trump talking about his potential picks individually.

Of Rubio, the former president said his name "is coming up a lot" as a good vice president pick.

On Scott, Trump said he was great as a presidential candidate, as the two ran against each other in the Republican primaries, but as a surrogate, Trump said "he's unbelievable."

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Trump praised Burgum on being a supporter of his for both of his presidential runs, and couldn't help but add that "he's a very rich man."

Trump also name-dropped a number of other politicians, such as Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn, Utah Sen. Mike Lee, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, and Florida Representative Byron Donalds.

On Donalds, who is Black, Trump said, "I like diversity. Diversité as you would say. I like diversité."

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, another potential pick, also made media appearances on Sunday, but they were focused on her infamous puppy killing story, which many believe have destroyed her VP ambitions.

Cover photo: Collage: ALEX WONG, JUSTIN SULLIVAN, Kevin Dietsch, JOE RAEDLE, & Anna Moneymaker / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP & SAUL LOEB / AFP

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