At townhall Trump says that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is on his vice presidential shortlist

WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump said in a town hall Tuesday night that at least six names are on his shortlist for vice president  - one of which is Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

During the town hall, Fox News host Laura Ingraham said the audience was asked who they think should be vice president, and she listed some of their picks: businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, DeSantis, Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem.

“Are they all on your shortlist?” she asked Trump, to which he replied, “They are.”

Later he added that, “Honestly all of those people are good. They’re all good, they’re all solid.”

Trump’s relationship with DeSantis is complicated. The two started off as allies, with Trump endorsing DeSantis in the 2018 Florida gubernatorial election.

The former president also applauded DeSantis for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, calling him a “great governor” at a White House press briefing in 2020.

However, their relationship took a turn as DeSantis’ 2024 presidential prospects began to rise. Before the 2022 midterm election, Trump unveiled his new nickname for the governor: Ron DeSanctimonious. After DeSantis launched his White House bid, Trump repeatedly thrashed his rival on the campaign trail and in interviews.

When DeSantis dropped out of the 2024 race last month, he endorsed Trump to which the former president thanked him and congratulated him “on doing a very good job.”

There’s a caveat to Trump choosing DeSantis as his running mate, however: one of them would have to move to another state since they are both Florida residents. The 12th Amendment to the Constitution says the president and vice president can’t reside in the same state.

Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., who wasn’t one of the names brought up at the town hall, is also being floated as Trump's potential running mate. Stefanik previously told reporters at a rally in New Hampshire that she would be honored to serve in a Trump administration.

Contributing: Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump acknowledges that Ron DeSantis is on his VP shortlist