Trump Says Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis ‘Would Be Considered’ As His 2024 V.P. If He Runs

Former President Donald Trump has seemingly left his former V.P. Mike Pence in the political dust, as more attractive vice president candidates have begun to clutter the field. During a Thursday interview, Trump floated the possibility that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis could be his running mate in 2024.

“He’s a friend of mine. I endorsed Ron, and after I endorsed him, he took off like a rocket ship. He’s done a great job as governor,” Trump said Thursday on Fox Business. “A lot of people like that — you know, I’m just saying what I read and what you read — they love that ticket,” Trump then said. “But certainly, Ron would be considered. He’s a great guy.”

Trump’s comments, however, highlight a touchy subject in the GOP. DeSantis is widely believed to have his own presidential aspirations, so it is unclear if he would accept a second place seat on a Trump ticket. The GOP’s growing pains after Trump left office has split the party between those who actively denounce the former president like Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Nebraska) and Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Illinois), and those who’ve embraced the former president, hoping to mobilize his voter base, like Sens. Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) and Mike Lee (R-Ohio).

DeSantis himself is closely aligned with Trump and hosted the Conservative Political Action Committee (CPAC) conference in Orlando that widely praised the former president’s time in office. At that same conference, however, attendees picked DeSantis as their number one pick for a 2024 Republican presidential nominee, if Trump does not run.