A close adviser has suggested that President Donald Trump may be seriously contemplating Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) as his running mate in 2024.
Trump has not yet disclosed who he would select as his running mate if he were to become the Republican Party’s 2024 presidential nominee.
“I see no better fit than Elise Stefanik, but the president will take his own counsel,” Mike Caputo, an adviser and friend of Trump, reportedly told the Daily Caller.
Stefanik is the chair of the House Republican Conference and a rising figure in the Republican Party.
During Trump’s two impeachment proceedings, the congresswoman has emerged as a staunch supporter.
She has previously stated her support for his candidacy.
Additionally, Stefanik excels in a quality Trump values the most — loyalty.
“Loyalty,” the Daily Caller quoted a “source close to Trump.”
“That’s the necessary characteristic of anyone who wants to be V.P. President Trump and the movement was dragged down by disloyalty in the White House.”
Caputo called Stefanik “young, dynamic, really bright and engaging.”
“She absolutely has more, let’s just call it ‘testicular fortitude’ than most men in the Republican Party,” Caputo said.
“She’s got more balls than any other candidate that might be considered for vice president.”
Caputo opined that Stefanik, who represents a sizable portion of northern New York, could play a crucial role in the neighboring battleground state of Pennsylvania.
“She’s one of the most convincing surrogates [for Trump] out of all of them.
“In some ways, Elise Stefanik, because of her distance from the problems of the past of Donald Trump, will be able to make a case for Donald Trump better than the candidate himself,” he argued.
The Daily Caller cited its sources as saying that Trump’s running candidate must be “ideologically aligned” with him, charismatic, and “TV-ready.”
“It’s always seemed to me that it will be a woman,” the Daily Caller quoted “an official supporting Trump’s election effort.”
“Whenever I’ve talked to people who worked in Trump world, it’s always assumed to be someone like Elise Stefanik or some other woman candidate,” the source said.
Axios reported last month that Trump seeks a female running mate to improve his standing with white suburban women.
The report suggested four candidates: Arizona Governor Kari Lake, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who served as White House press secretary during a portion of the Trump administration, and South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem.
NBC has suggested that Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) is also in the running for the position, stating that she desires it.
Trump’s spokesman Steven Cheung told Axios that only Trump knows his intentions.
“Anyone who thinks they know what President Trump is going to do is seriously misinformed and trying to curry favor with ‘potential’ V.P. candidates,” he said.
“President Trump will choose his running mate on his own time, and those who are playing the media game are doing so at their own peril.”