A new name has been added to the list of potential vice presidential candidates that former President Donald Trump may be considering to be his running mate in November's election.
According to longtime Trump ally Roger Stone, that new addition to Trump's VP shortlist would be former Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA), who is currently the CEO of Trump Media, the Washington Examiner reported.
During his time as chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Nunes played an integral role in helping to begin exposing and unraveling the "Russiagate" hoax and proved himself to be a top ally of the former president in Congress.
Stone, during an interview this week with Newsmax host Eric Bolling, raised former Rep. Nunes as a possible VP pick for former President Trump and provided several compelling reasons for that choice after first laying out what he believed should be the top criteria for Trump to consider in a prospective running mate.
Of Trump, Stone said, "I do think he's got a lot of good candidates. He hasn't confided in me, to be very clear, and I don't speak for him in any way. I think his list is getting larger rather than smaller."
"But I think he needs somebody who, first and foremost, has the judgment and experience and the capacity to be president if, God forbid, something should happen to Trump," he continued. "Then secondarily I think he needs someone who will carry the America First revolution forward, should they succeed him, and then thirdly, you want somebody who is surefooted, someone who is experienced, somebody who will not get tripped up in the first week."
Pressed by Bolling to provide a name, Stone replied, "You know who I'd like? I just thought of this last night -- Devin Nunes."
"Twenty-year member of Congress, former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, someone Donald Trump is very close to and trusts entirely," he added. "He’s Hispanic, a former farmer from before he went to Congress. I think he would be an excellent choice."
There has been widespread speculation for months among the media about who former President Trump is considering to be his running mate, but this appears to be the first time that former Rep. Nunes' name has been floated as a possible contender for that position.
CNN reported last week that, according to multiple unnamed sources who've "been briefed" or spoken directly to Trump about the matter, the VP "shortlist" is actually "very long" and constantly "in flux" as Trump floats various names to allies, donors, Mar-a-Lago members, and his supporters to gauge their reactions.
Currently near the top of that ever-changing list, in no particular order, are prospective candidates like Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL), J.D. Vance (R-OH), Tim Scott (R-SC), and Arizona Senate candidate Kari Lake, along with South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, former Housing Sec. Ben Carson, and Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY).
According to Axios, other potential picks include business entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL), Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), and perhaps even former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley. Other possibilities, albeit seemingly less likely, include Rep. Marjorie Green Taylor (R-GA), Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI).
In his Newsmax interview, Stone also noted that former President Trump continues to lead in the polls despite the mounting legal issues he faces, and said, "Everything we're seeing is counterintuitive. But that's because -- let's face it -- Donald Trump broke the mold, and all the conventional wisdom about politics really went out the window in 2016 when he was first elected."
"Normally, when a candidate for public office is charged with multiple crimes, fundraising dries up, their voter support drops," he added. "But in this case, Donald Trump's campaign continues to be turbocharged by this tsunami of lawfare against him, because, frankly, I think the American people are fair-minded, and they can see through every bit of it
