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Trump鈥檚 VP hopefuls make high-profile TV appearances as they audition to join his ticket following weekend fundraiser

From left, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, House Conference Chair Elise Stefanik and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio. (Getty Images via CNN Newsource) From left, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, House Conference Chair Elise Stefanik and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio. (Getty Images via CNN Newsource)
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After spending time with their potential future boss at his Florida home over the weekend, many of Donald Trump鈥檚 vice presidential hopefuls hit the Sunday show circuit, repeating the former president鈥檚 doubts about election results and bashing President Joe Biden for his handling of campus protests.

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem remained on defense after blowback from an anecdote about killing a 14-month-old dog and goat on her farm. As CNN reported Friday, sources said Noem was off the shortlist long before the excerpts dropped and won鈥檛 be under consideration anytime soon.

Following a joint Trump-Republican National Committee fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago on Saturday, where the presumptive GOP nominee brought several of the potential candidates on stage, House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio all made high-profile TV appearances on Sunday as speculation swirls over who Trump will select.

Campus unrest

Stefanik, who has spearheaded Republican efforts to attack college and university presidents over claims of antisemitism, used her Sunday appearance on Fox News鈥 鈥淪unday Morning Futures鈥 to try to draw a connection between unrest on campuses and Biden and the Democratic Party.

鈥淭his is Joe Biden鈥檚 Democrat Party today,鈥 the New York Republican said, alluding to scenes of chaos on campuses nationwide. 鈥淎nd the reality is this is why Republicans continue to poll stronger and stronger, because we represent peace and security. We represent standing up for the Constitution. We represent supporting our ally of Israel and we strongly condemn antisemitism.鈥

Rubio, speaking on 鈥淔ox News Sunday,鈥 called Biden 鈥渨eak鈥 and 鈥渇eeble,鈥 adding that international students should have their visas revoked if they are found 鈥渄efacing statues鈥 and 鈥渞ipping down American flags and putting up Palestinian flags.鈥

Scott claimed Biden took too long to condemn antisemitism and is 鈥減andering鈥 to his base.

鈥淭he reason in part is because his base refuses to let them do so. He鈥檚 pandering to politics, as opposed to standing up for fairness and standing against antisemitism,鈥 he said on NBC鈥檚 鈥淢eet the Press.鈥

Until last Thursday, when he made his most substantive comments on the protests in remarks from the White House, Biden had said little about the unrest. He had told reporters at an Earth Day event on April 22 that he condemned antisemitism and also 鈥渢hose who don鈥檛 understand what鈥檚 going on with the Palestinians.鈥

Doubts about election results

As Trump continues to focus on his false claims over election integrity, many of his potential deputies expressed their own concerns.

Scott refused to say whether he will accept the results of the 2024 election regardless of the winner, asserting that 鈥渁t the end of the day, the 47th president of the United States will be President Donald Trump.鈥

鈥淧resident Trump himself said he expects this election to be fair, he expects it to be honest, and he expects to win. That鈥檚 what the presidential candidate should expect. 鈥 And, frankly, the American people agree with him. This is an issue that is not an issue,鈥 Scott said on NBC鈥檚 鈥淢eet the Press.鈥

Trump told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel last week that he will only accept the election鈥檚 results 鈥渋f everything鈥檚 honest.鈥

Asked several times by NBC鈥檚 Kristen Welker, Scott said, 鈥淚 look forward to President Trump being the 47th president. Kristen, you could ask it multiple times, but I just answered the question at the end of the day.鈥

Burgum, meanwhile, said he believes Biden won the 2020 election, but he falsely claimed that there were a 鈥渉uge number of irregularities鈥 due to changed voting rules during the Covid-19 pandemic. There is no evidence of widespread voting fraud in the 2020 election.

Goodbye, Sunshine State?

Rubio, who represents the same state where Trump now lives, was pressed on whether he鈥檇 be open to changing his residency in order to serve as vice president.

The 12th amendment requires electors to vote for at least one candidate from a different state than theirs, meaning either Trump or Rubio would need to change their state residency in order to collect electoral votes from Florida if Trump were to tap Rubio for the role.

Instead of addressing the question, Rubio used it to pivot to the subject of Trump鈥檚 legal battles, attacking those who have brought charges against the former president.

鈥淏efore anyone decides to move from their state, you better make sure you move to a state where there鈥檚 not some DA that makes a career after going after Republicans, because what we鈥檙e seeing all over the country right now is the weaponization of our criminal justice after Donald Trump, which is now well-documented,鈥 Rubio said.

Rubio also tried Sunday to tamp down on speculation that he would be Trump鈥檚 vice president.

鈥淭he vice presidential choice for Donald Trump鈥檚 gonna be made by one person and that鈥檚 Donald Trump, and all this other stuff is just speculation. And I get it. You know, political reporters have to cover political topics and primaries over the general six months away. So, they want to speculate on the VP thing,鈥 Rubio told Fox News Sunday.

Praising his party and those gathered at the RNC spring retreat with Trump over the weekend, Rubio said, 鈥淭he amount of talent that we have in the Republican Party is extraordinary. He doesn鈥檛 just have a bunch of choices for VP. He has a bunch of choices for cabinet. He鈥檚 going to have an extraordinary group of talented people that can serve this country in multiple roles.鈥

South Dakota governor plays defense

Noem continued to defend herself after excerpts of her book 鈥淣o Going Back鈥 detailed her killing a goat and a 14-month-old dog on her farm, and offered a glimpse at why she might have included the anecdote in the book in the first place during her Sunday appearance on CBS鈥 鈥淔ace the Nation.鈥

鈥淭his has been a story that my political opponents have tried to use against me for years. It鈥檚 well known in South Dakota and it has been to other people and I want the truth to be out there,鈥 Noem said.

In her book, Noem appears to suggest that President Joe Biden鈥檚 dog Commander should suffer a similar fate to Cricket, the working dog she shot.

鈥淲hat would I do if I was president on the first day in office in 2025? Thanks for asking. I happen to have a list. The first thing I鈥檇 do is make sure Joe Biden鈥檚 dog was nowhere on the grounds (鈥楥ommander, say hello to Cricket for me鈥),鈥 Noem writes.

Commander, the Biden family鈥檚 German shepherd, bit Secret Service personnel in 24 separate incidents at the White House and other locations, according to CNN鈥檚 reporting from February.

The dog was removed from the White House last October.

鈥淛oe Biden鈥檚 dog has attacked 24 Secret Service people,鈥 Noem said on 鈥淔ace the Nation.鈥 鈥淪o, how many people is enough people to be attacked and dangerously hurt before you make a decision on a dog and what to do with it?

CNN reported Friday that, while at Noem was at one point considered a top contender for Trump鈥檚 vice presidential pick, his advisers have said for weeks that is no longer the case.

Noem also on Sunday addressed an error in her book, in which she claimed to have met Kim Jong Un.

鈥淚 remember when I met with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. I鈥檓 sure he underestimated me, having no clue about my experience staring down little tyrants (I鈥檇 been a children鈥檚 pastor, after all),鈥 Noem wrote, according to an excerpt displayed on 鈥淔ace the Nation.鈥

Asked specifically whether she had met with Kim, Noem told CBS, 鈥淎s soon as this was brought to my attention, I certainly made some changes.鈥

鈥淚鈥檝e met with many, many world leaders. I鈥檝e traveled around the world,鈥 the governor continued, adding that the updated version of the book hits shelves on Tuesday.

CNN鈥檚 Casey Gannon and Veronica Stracqualursi contributed reporting.

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