(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is offering some insights into his decision not to be considered as a potential running mate on Donald Trump’s 2024 ticket.
DeSantis asserted on Wednesday that, in contrast to other Republican politicians, he is not actively seeking a place on the ticket and attributed this reluctance to what he perceives as a focus on identity politics as the sole criterion.
“People were mentioning me [as a potential vice president]. I am not doing that,” DeSantis said during a phone call with his now-defunct campaign, according to the New York Post.
“I know some people are really actively seeking it. It seems to me, just from watching kind of the body language and stuff, that you have a handful of folks who seem to be auditioning for it,” he added.
In the conversation, DeSantis reportedly shared that when he ran for president, he sought a running mate capable of assuming the role if necessary.
“I need someone who can do the job if it came to that, and I would have been the third-youngest president elected so chances are … I would probably be in pretty good shape, but you never know what else can happen, it’s happened before,” he explained.
The governor implied that Trump is probably seeking a woman or an ethnic minority candidate to counter Vice President Kamala Harris.
“I think he’s going to probably use different criteria,” DeSantis said of Trump. “I’ve heard that they are looking more at identity politics. I think that’s a mistake. I think you should just focus on who you think the best person for the job would be.”
Trump said he is considering Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem.
🚨BREAKING: Trump confirms Vivek is on his VP shortlist: “Yeah… All of those people are good. They’re all solid.” pic.twitter.com/liUb3Ksgnz
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) February 21, 2024
🚨BREAKING: Trump singles-out Tim Scott in audience when asked about his 2024 VP pick pic.twitter.com/jwnxKqJxXe
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) February 21, 2024
Gabbard expressed her willingness to be chosen by Trump, stating, “I’d be honored. I’ve taken on Kamala Harris on a debate stage before, and I’d look forward to doing that again.
Listen to what Tulsi Gabbard had to say when asked about being on Trump’s VP list and a look back at how Tulsi mopped Kamala off the floor during their debate. pic.twitter.com/6g5UqvD3FP
— ꪻꫝể ꪻꫝể (@TheThe1776) February 22, 2024
