JUST IN: Axios Says Early Leader For Trump VP Is a Woman – And Not Nikki Haley

Axios boasted a big “scoop” Tuesday: founder Mike Allen’s take on ex-President Donald Trump’s early thinking about his next running mate — a woman who is not former South Carolina Governor and Trump UN Ambassador Nikki Haley.

Haley announced her candidacy for president with a bio-heavy campaign video and a rally in Charleston, South Carolina several weeks ago, and has since tried to walk a line between avoiding direct criticism of Trump and taking veiled shots at him with things like her demand for mental fitness tests for candidates 75 years and older.

On Friday morning, the Axios AM newsletter boasted its first “Big thing”: “Scoop: Trump veep thinking.”

The top spot isn’t Haley, although she’s kind of in the mix. Instead, the chatter in Trumpworld is about another woman with a more overtly pro-Trump persona:

Former President Trump is strongly considering picking a female running mate — and sees Kari Lake as a model for his vice-presidential pick, according to people who discussed the topic with him.

Why it matters: Trump is already gaming out the general election in November 2024 — and knows he has a massive weakness with the white suburban women he would need to beat President Biden.

Lake, a former TV anchor who lost her race for Arizona governor in November, meets Trump’s most important qualification for a No. 2: She has shown she’s willing to defend him vociferously, no matter the issue or controversy.

But Allen goes on to say that “Some close to Trump” like Haley for the spot — not the most ringing endorsement of her chances — and that there’s also chatter about Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem. But Lake is the only name whose interest is attributed to Trump.

As for Haley, her greatest accomplishment thus far seems to have been to peel off votes from Ron DeSantis, as Trump has coincidentally surged in GOP primary polls over the last month or so.