Trump’s running mate reportedly has a 2-year-old granddaughter who owns a shotgun

Donald Trump has hinted he could make South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem his running mate if he wins the Republican presidential nomination next year.

The former US president said he liked the idea of ​​putting a woman on the list alongside him and praised Ms Noem for her praise.

The 51-year-old has become a rising star in the Republican Party after embracing the party’s culture wars. In Mr. Trump’s own words, she is a “warrior for American values.”

She made headlines with a speech at the National Rifle Convention earlier this year, in which she revealed that her two-year-old granddaughter owned multiple guns.

“I want to reassure you, she already has a shotgun and she already has a rifle and she also has a little pony named Sparkles. So the girl is trapped,” she said.

His anti-lockdown stance during the pandemic first brought him to the attention of the Republican base, as well as his loyalty to Mr. Trump.

She presented Mr Trump with a replica of Mount Rushmore with her face included on the monument when he was president in 2020.

A telegenic mother of three, Ms. Noem has cultivated her image as a down-to-earth conservative unlike Washington’s elites, using social media to share images of herself taking photos, riding and spending time time with his children.

However, Ms. Noem has made no secret of her ambitions for higher office. She told conservative network Newsmax that she would be Mr. Trump’s running mate “in a heartbeat.”

Republican strategists think she could aim even higher in 2028.

In an interview with NBC on Sunday, Mr. Trump, the Republican front-runner, was asked whether he was inclined to select a female vice-presidential candidate.

“I like the concept but we are going to choose the best person. But I like the concept, yes,” he replied.

He then spoke about Ms. Noem, whom he called a “great governor.”

He noted: “She gave me very enthusiastic support, very nice support in fact.”

“Certainly, she would be one of the people I would consider, or for something else maybe,” he added.

One potential problem is persistent rumors about his close relationship with Corey Lewandowski, 49, Mr. Trump’s former campaign manager.

Last week, Mail Online reported claims that the married governor, who often upholds family values, was involved in a years-long affair with Mr Lewandowski, also married.

Neither denied the affair when contacted by the Mail. However, Ms. Noem’s representative dismissed the reports, calling them a “predictable” media attack.

The spokesperson said: “As Governor Noem said during her endorsement speech: ‘Yes, I will be attacked for speaking the truth to all of you tonight.’ Yes, I expect Joe Biden, these candidates, their political operatives, and the media to perpetuate abhorrent, hateful misinformation in an effort to destroy me and my family because of my views.

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