Noem for vice president buzz heard ahead of rare Trump South Dakota visit: ‘Long list’

Former President Donald Trump will likely draw from a different pool of potential running mates in the 2024 presidential election than he did in 2016, with Gov. Kristi Noem (R-SD) potentially being a serious contender.

Trump, the front-runner for the Republican Party’s presidential nomination in 2024, has a strong relationship with the South Dakota governor. The two have maintained a relationship since working together during Trump’s administration, and a source close to Noem further confirmed that they have frequent phone calls.

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One of the events that specifically strengthened their bond was Trump’s commitment to assisting Noem with the return of fireworks to Mount Rushmore in 2020 for its Fourth of July celebration.

Noem would be included on a list of possible running mates, sources with knowledge confirmed. Her record of working with Trump as governor, paired with her popularity in the state and her expanding national profile, are considered advantages for her.

However, a source close to Trump told the Washington Examiner, “The list of potential VP picks is quite long, and frankly, at the moment, the president isn’t focused on this.”

According to the source, many people are in consideration, and “the president quite enjoys watching the prospective VP picks trying to one-up each other” regarding showing support for Trump.

As to whether Noem would consider joining Trump as his running mate, a source with direct knowledge said, “Absolutely.”

The South Dakota governor hasn’t said as much publicly, stating that she hasn’t spent much time thinking about the hypothetical and is focused on governing the state. But even so, they said, Noem would definitely join Trump on a ticket — and even considered making a presidential run herself but decided against it due to Trump’s massive edge against opponents.

Noem would have a leg up over other contenders regarding becoming Trump’s right hand, one source with knowledge predicted. Given her growing national presence, particularly as she debuts national ads to recruit people to work in South Dakota, she could supplement Trump’s support in key groups.

An additional source with knowledge of the president’s thinking, however, echoed that consideration of various running mate possibilities is far off as the campaign focuses on Trump’s indictments and legal battle. Noem is considered an ally, however.

Last month, the South Dakota Republican Party announced that Trump would be a special guest at its Monumental Leaders rally on Sept. 8 at the Monument in Rapid City.

“Our Monumental Leaders rally just got 45 times better as we look forward to hearing from the original America First leader, President Donald Trump,” said state GOP Chairman John Wiik in a press release. “President Trump accomplished so much for our country during his time in office. As the leading presidential candidate, he can inspire our Republican Party to even greater heights.”

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According to a RealClearPolitics report, Trump was urged to accept the invitation by Noem herself, who will also be there. The appearance is especially significant because South Dakota is reliably Republican and isn’t a hot spot for campaigning as well as the fact that the state’s entire Senate delegation has endorsed one of Trump’s opponents in Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC).

All eyes will further be on Noem during the visit as the 2024 presidential primary nears and endorsements for Republican candidates roll in.