South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem is considered by betting markets to be the front-runner as former President Donald Trump’s 2024 running mate. She’s even been named by Trump as part of his short list.
“I’ve got my eye on her,” Trump told NBC News last year, in response to a question about Noem’s chances of becoming vice president.
On Monday, Noem made a stunning move that had the political world whispering. The South Dakota Republican traveled to met with Trump on Monday at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, an insider told the Daily Caller.
Like many governors, Noem boasts a high favorability rating in her current role. She’s also earned a reputation for her charisma, and she’s seen some of her political ads go viral. She’s attracted attention for using a branding iron to veto a bill, and she once played a plumber in a video promoting South Dakota’s apprenticeship programs.
In a Kaplan Strategies poll of a swing state, Noem was polled as the most favored prospect for a running mate. As of Friday, she was viewed favorably by 39 percent of the 941 registered voters surveyed in Wisconsin.
Noem also fared well in the Conservative Political Action Conference’s straw poll of possible vice presidents. She nabbed 15 percent of the vote, tying biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy for first place. She and Ramaswamy finished ahead of 15 other people.
However, she remains untested as a candidate for a role in Washington, D.C.
Without confirming anything, Noem described the ideal vice president Thursday on Fox News.
“I’m all in to do what I can to help the team. He needs somebody that actually is not part of the swamp, I think. He needs a business owner. He needs somebody who’s been a commander in chief, somebody who makes decisions when things get tough. Those are his qualifications, and he needs to know he can have somebody around him that trusts him and he trusts and will fight,” Noem said.
“He’s got a lot of jobs to do when you’re president of the United States. He needs to have people on his team that fight for him every single day.”
At a town hall last month, Trump said that he’d already picked a running mate. However, he didn’t directly name the person, and he declined to say whether he’d even informed him or her.
“I know who it’s going to be,” Trump said at the time. He added, “I can’t tell you that really.”
Perhaps on Monday, he finally told someone.
NEW: A source familiar tells me South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, who is rumored to be on the VP shortlist, met with former President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago today. @DailyCaller
— Henry Rodgers (@henryrodgersdc) February 26, 2024
Updated Link: Trump-Noem Ticket is Preferred Presidential Pairing Among Wisconsin Voters in New Poll
Donald J. Trump is the preference for President and South Dakota Gov. Kristi
Noem is the preferred pick for his running mate https://t.co/93brzvaNd2 pic.twitter.com/bTcWVHRRRn— Doug Kaplan (@dougjkaplan) February 26, 2024
The Horn editorial team