Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis gave a hard pass to the idea of being former President Donald Trump‘s running mate for vice president after his name was mentioned on the shortlist.
“People were mentioning me. I am not doing that,” the former Republican presidential candidate said in a private call with supporters.
In the call, Mr. DeSantis said there are people who are “auditioning” for the role, the Washington Examiner reported.
“I know some people are really actively seeking it,” he said. “It seems to me, just from watching the body language and stuff, that you have a handful of folks who seem to be auditioning for it.”
Mr. Trump, in a town hall with Fox News’ Laura Ingraham on Tuesday, confirmed some names on the shortlist for his pick as vice president.
Mr. DeSantis; former Republican presidential candidates Vivek Ramaswamy and Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina; Florida Rep. Byron Donalds; South Carolina Gov. Kristi Noem and former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard were on the list.
Mr. Trump said all of those people are “good and solid.”
On the call, Mr. DeSantis said the former president should not play “identity politics,” NBC reported.
“Now we have a diverse Republican Party. I want everybody in the fold, don’t get me wrong. But I don’t want people representing 10, 15% of the party being in the driver’s seat,” he said.
“Ron DeSantis failed miserably in his presidential campaign and does not have a voice in selecting the next vice president of the United States,” Trump spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said. “Rather than throw cheap shots from afar, Ron should focus on what he can do to fire [President] Joe Biden and Make America Great Again.”
Trump adviser Chris LaCivita responded to reports of the call, saying Mr. DeSantis is a “sad little man.”
After the Florida governor dropped out of the primary race, he endorsed Mr. Trump.