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Senator Tim Scott has emerged as the favorite to be Donald Trump's running mate, according to one online betting platform.
As Trump's decisive wins in primary contests move him closer to locking down the Republican nomination, auditions to become his vice presidential candidate have gotten underway. Campaign stops by New York Rep. Elise Stefanik and others have felt like public tryouts for Republicans hoping to secure the coveted spot on the ticket.
Trump has stoked the speculation about who his pick could be, saying during a town hall event in South Carolina last week that there are at least six names on his shortlist of potential running mates.
They include Scott, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, Rep. Byron Donalds, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, and former Hawaii congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard.
According to Polymarket, Scott, who ended his 2024 bid for president in November, is the current favorite with "yes" predictions trading at 19 cents, comparable to a 17 percent chance, while "no" predictions are at 83 cents.
Noem is a close second, with "yes" predictions trading at 16 cents, comparable to a 16 percent chance, and "no" predictions at 85 cents. Ramaswamy is in third, with a 15 percent chance, followed by Stefanik with a 13 percent chance.
Newsweek has contacted Scott's office and a Trump spokesperson for comment via email.
Other betting platforms have Noem as the likeliest pick.
She remains the Betfair favorite to be the Republican vice presidential nominee, with odds of 7/2 offered on Tuesday. Scott and Ramaswamy's odds were 6/1.
Noem and Ramaswamy also topped a recent straw poll of Conservative Political Action Conference attendees on who should be Trump's vice presidential pick, securing about 15 percent of the votes. Gabbard was next, with 9 percent of the vote, followed by Stefanik and Scott with 8 percent each.
Trump told Laura Ingraham last week that Scott, Ramaswamy, Donalds, Noem and Gabbard were all on his shortlist.
"They're all good, they're all solid," he said, before adding he would seek a running mate "with common sense, because there's so many things happening in this country that don't make sense."
Trump also dropped hints about his pick in another Fox News interview earlier in February, saying he was "watching" people.
"I speak to everybody," he told Maria Bartiromo. "I called Tim Scott this week. A lot of people like Tim Scott. I called him and I said: 'You're a much better candidate for me than you are for yourself.'"
Asked about those comments, Scott said at the time that "the struggle of self-promotion is challenging, but what we do is focus on what America needs right now. In the moment, the best alternative is four more years of President Donald Trump."
About the writer
Khaleda Rahman is Newsweek's National Correspondent based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on education and national news. Khaleda ... Read more