Over the weekend, Donald Trump’s Florida home became the gathering spot for his possible vice-presidential candidates, many of whom appeared on Sunday news shows to echo Trump’s skepticism about election results and criticize President Joe Biden’s handling of campus protests.
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem faced criticism after sharing a story about killing a 14-month-old dog and goat on her farm. According to CNN, Noem had been taken out of consideration for the vice-presidential slot well before these revelations became public.
Following a joint Trump-Republican National Committee fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago on Saturday, Trump shared the stage with several potential running mates. House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, and Florida Senator Marco Rubio made prominent appearances on Sunday news shows, further fueling speculation about Trump’s choice for a running mate.
**Campus Unrest**
Stefanik, a leading Republican critic of university presidents over alleged antisemitism, appeared on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” to connect campus unrest to Biden and the Democratic Party. “This is Joe Biden’s Democrat Party today,” she said, pointing to campus chaos. “This is why Republicans continue to poll stronger and stronger,” she added, emphasizing that the GOP supports peace, security, the Constitution, and Israel, while strongly condemning antisemitism.
Rubio, speaking on “Fox News Sunday,” accused Biden of being “weak” and suggested international students should lose their visas if they engage in acts like “defacing statues” or “ripping down American flags.”
Tim Scott, appearing on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” criticized Biden’s response to antisemitism as too slow and accused him of pandering to his political base. “He’s pandering to politics, as opposed to standing up for fairness and standing against antisemitism,” Scott remarked.
**Election Integrity Doubts**
While Trump continues to propagate his false claims about the 2020 election, some of his potential vice-presidential candidates echoed his sentiment. Scott declined to confirm if he would accept the 2024 election results, focusing instead on Trump’s confidence in winning. Burgum acknowledged Biden’s victory in 2020 but claimed, without evidence, that there were many “irregularities” due to changes in voting procedures during the pandemic.
Trump, in a recent interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, said he would only accept the 2024 election results “if everything’s honest.”
**Residency Challenges**
Since both Trump and Rubio represent Florida, Rubio was asked if he would consider changing his residency if selected as Trump’s running mate. The 12th Amendment requires electors to vote for at least one candidate from a different state. Rubio avoided a direct answer, instead criticizing what he termed the “weaponization” of the justice system against Republicans.
**Noem on the Defensive**
Kristi Noem faced controversy after a passage in her book “No Going Back” recounted her killing a goat and dog on her farm. Appearing on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” she defended herself, saying her political opponents had used the story against her for years. In her book, she suggested that President Biden’s dog Commander, who had bitten Secret Service personnel 24 times, should meet a similar fate. Commander, a German shepherd, was subsequently removed from the White House.
Noem also corrected an error in her book, initially claiming to have met North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. She admitted the mistake and said the correction would be included in the next edition of her book, which is due out this week.
