The veepstakes were top of mind for attendees gathered at CPAC, not least because the conference’s annual straw poll is centered on who should be Trump’s pick, with the results set to be announced on Saturday afternoon. While the straw poll results are if anything unscientific, the famously poll-obsessed Trump has long taken an interest in the conference’s yearly survey, according to Schlapp.

“He’s always talked to me about the straw poll, he cares about the questions that are in it,” said Schlapp. “If they get 1 percent in the poll, I don’t think it helps their chances, that’s how I look at it.”

The former president is set to speak Saturday afternoon, just before the straw poll results are to be announced.

Trump has given little indication of who he is favoring for VP, though he has said he is looking for someone who can step into the role of president if needed. The list of candidates often discussed has given some signs of where he and his team are heading. Women and politicians of color make up a major share of the names. And Trump himself recently praised two of them: Stefanik and Scott.

When asked by Fox News host Laura Ingraham if his shortlist includes former Democratic Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Donalds, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Noem and Ramaswamy, Trump said it did.

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