Republican congressman Byron Donalds said it would be a “great honor” if former President Donald Trump were to ask him to be his running-mate for 2024, saying the ultimate goal is for Trump to win and he’ll do whatever he’s asked to help him do that.
Donalds, who was reportedly on a short list of contenders that the Trump campaign sent vetting paperwork to, told The Daily Wire that he thinks he has assets that would be beneficial for the campaign, and “would accept” if Trump made the offer.
“It’d be a great honor, but it’s his decision,” Donalds said in a Nashville interview with The Daily Wire. “He’ll decide what he wants to do and whatever his decision is, I’m going to support that.”
“I just want to win,” Donalds said. “I’m a real simple dude. I just want to win and be successful. That’s it.”
Though Donalds, like Trump, was born in New York City, he, like Trump, currently resides in Florida, where he’s been a member of Congress since 2021. He is widely viewed as an upcoming star in the Republican Party, and was even floated as a potential candidate for Speaker of the House after Kevin McCarthy was ousted last year.
Donalds says he thinks he has three assets that would help the presidential ticket this November, chiefly his ability to communicate “common sense” politics to independent voters.
“I think we’re at this point in the country where common sense is the true desire, not political ideology,” Donalds said, noting the shift away from Democrats among racial minorities. “I think it’s a good thing for America.”
Donalds also said he has a knowledge of how Congress works, and is a proven force on the campaign trail.
“What is an asset to the president is somebody who can make sure the wheels of Congress are moving to get the agenda done,” Donalds said. “The third part is, I think in this environment you gotta be able to go campaign and help him get across the line.”
Donalds is perhaps the most surprising name on the list of VP contenders, which also includes Republican Senators Tim Scott, JD Vance, Tom Cotton, and Marco Rubio. The other names on the shortlist are North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, and Donalds’ House colleague, Elise Stefanik.
The full interview with Donalds can be heard this weekend on Morning Wire.
