Trump, VP Candidates Showcased at Private Donor Event

Saturday's private donor event at the Palm Beach, Florida, Four Seasons showcased the leading candidates to be presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's running mate.

While Trump has maintained a vice president pick will not dictate the 2024 winner — the candidates at the top of the ticket do that — the chosen running mate can help steer the path of the 2028 GOP primary front-runner as Trump can have a direct hand in passing the MAGA baton.

"It's funny when I listen to the fake news, they all say, Well, you know, he's going to have a hard time getting people in his administration because he's very tough, and I'm not sure he can get anybody to be vice president of the United States,'" Trump reportedly told the private donor luncheon. "I've got 50 people calling me, begging me: I'll cut off my right arm, sir. Please, I want to be the vice president.

"These are ambitious politicians."

Trump made similar remarks at public campaign rallies that air on Newsmax, but the reports of the private event did provide a glimpse perhaps in how Trump views the short list of potential running mates.

According to reports, featured Trump campaign guests were: Sens. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio; Tim Scott, R-S.C.; Marco Rubio, R-Fla.; Reps. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y.; Byron Donalds, R-Fla.; North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum; and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem.

Notably, NBC News reported Noem left the event early and did not join the others on the stage at a pivotal moment of the fundraiser, where Trump offered donors willing to pay $1 million to join them on the stage. Two took Trump up on the premium offer, according to NBC.

Trump offered little in which of those he might declare his running mate before mid-July's Republican National Convention set for the key election battleground of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Trump praised Stefanik for defending him against impeachment, and for her takedown of the Harvard President Claudine Gay who failed to stand against antisemitic hate speech on campus — a cautionary tale that has resurfaced for campus administrators throughout America in recent weeks.

"Everybody said she's going to be the vice-presidential candidate," Trump told donors, a remark he also often shares at rallies, sharing no further favor.

Trump praised all the candidates equally.

Scott is "one of the greatest surrogates," Trump said.

Vance, initially a critic, "turned out to be incredible," he added.

And to those would remember his "little Marco" mocking in the 2015 Republican primary debates, Trump told donors that Rubio remains in the mix, because he's "a talented guy."

"Every time they say, 'Is he being considered?' and I say, 'Absolutely.'"

Trump said Burgum and his wife Kathryn were "really impressive." Burgum was among the first to leave the primary race without "airtime" and endorse Trump.

Trump did praise Noem as "somebody that I love," but she reportedly left before all the candidates were on stage with Trump at the event, according to NBC sources.

"She's been with me, and a supporter, and I've been a supporter of hers for a long time," Trump said, making no mention of the media's recent attacks of Noem telling the story in her upcoming book about having to put down an aggressive and "dangerous" dog.

Most of the reported remarks from the Saturday luncheon appeared to be oft-repeated campaign rally remarks repackaged in private, including stinging rebukes of President Joe Biden, special counsel Jack Smith — a f"***** a**hole," Trump reportedly said — Fulton County District Attorney Fani Wills, a "real beauty."

"These people are running a Gestapo administration, and it's the only thing they have, and it's the only way they're going to win in their opinion," Trump said, according to the audio reported by The Washington Post, NBC News, and others.

"Once I got indicted, I said, holy s**t. I just got indicted. Me. I got indicted," joking Lara Trump would not have married his middle son Eric if she knew her father-in-law would face a prosecution, much less multiple.

Biden is "the worst president in the history of our country," Trump said. "He's grossly incompetent. He's crooked as hell. He's the Manchurian candidate, he accepts massive amounts of money from China, from Russia, from Ukraine and many other countries. He's a crook."

As for how he is dealing with the indictments and trial in the middle of a presidential campaign to unseat Biden? Trump said he takes it all in stride.

"If you care too much, you tend to choke — and in a way, I don't care," he reportedly said. "It's just you know, life is life."