Noem says she would be Trump’s running mate ‘in a heartbeat’

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) said Thursday she would be former President Trump’s 2024 running mate “in a heartbeat.”

“Oh, absolutely,” Noem said on Newsmax when asked whether she would consider a theoretical offer from Trump to run as his vice president. “I would in a heartbeat.”

“Just because you respect the position and the person who asks you to do something and then see if you really believe that you could make a difference,” Noem continued. 

Noem will join Trump on Friday for a campaign rally in her state, where she is reportedly expected to endorse his nomination for president in 2024, raising speculation about the prospect of her joining his ticket. 

In the Thursday interview, Noem made the case for her potential vice presidential candidacy.

“Trump needs a strong partner if he’s going to take back the White House,” Noem said. “And he’s going to need somebody who knows what it’s like to run a business, to be an employee, earn a paycheck, but also having a wife, mom, and grandma isn’t bad either.”

Noem is not running for president in 2024, but she has still maintained her public presence, frequently appearing on cable TV and running an ad multiple times on Fox News in the lead-up to and during the first Republican presidential debate this August.

Trump is the leading candidate in the 2024 GOP primary field, but he faces four criminal indictments with unknown effects on his campaign prospects.