Anonymous sources told the news outlet that Trump is considering choosing a woman or a person of color to be his running mate and dropping Pence.
The report comes following the former president’s tumultuous last few weeks in office, during which Trump publicly pressured Pence to overturn the 2020 election results during the congressional certification process.
Pence did not have the authority to overturn the election results, as his role presiding over the Senate during this process is largely ceremonial.
The tensions between Trump and Pence came to a fever pitch during the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, when rioters breached the building’s security and chanted about apprehending and hanging the former vice president.
Before the breach, Trump gave a speech on the Ellipse during which he encouraged his supporters to march to the Capitol and demand that Congress halt the certification.
According to Bloomberg, the sources said that Trump is looking at people who stood by him through the end of his presidency after the Capitol riots.
Trump adviser Jason Miller responded to Bloomberg’s report in a tweet calling it “fake news” saying “no such conversations are happening.”
This is fake news. No such conversations are happening. https://t.co/RU8NG22d9u
— Jason Miller (@JasonMillerinDC) March 3, 2021
Two sources added that South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) is being considered on the list of potential running mates. Others told Bloomberg that Trump would not announce if he is running until the summer of 2023.
The former president recently told Newsmax’s Mark Halpern that he did not think that any other Republican could beat him in a primary if he decided to run again in 2024.
“I’ve done a good job for this party,” Trump said. “We had the greatest economy in history and then we rebuilt it a second time and the foundations were so strong that no other country can even compete with us.”
“I think based on the job performance, I’m not sure that anybody should be able to win other than us,” the former president added.
The news comes as the Republican Party has experienced a rift, with some lawmakers and leaders wanting to continue on a pro-Trump platform, and others wanting to break away from the grip of the former president.
Via The Hill