Trump names McMaster, Noem and Ramaswamy as possible Veep picks in post-arrest Newsmax interview

Donald Trump has mentioned Henry McMaster, Kristi Noem and Vivek Ramaswamy as his possible picks for vice president in a post-arrest interview after a dramatic day at the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta.

Mr Trump on Thursday surrendered to authorities on 13 charges of attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. He was later released from jail on a $200,000 bail bond.

In an interview with Newsmax, the former president was asked a question about whether he saw a possible vice president on stage at the GOP debate. “I thought Vivek, as you say, Vivek, like cake, did very well,” Mr Trump said.

This was in reference to a Fox News interview with Mr Ramaswamy in which he had rapped: “My name’s Vivek, it rhymes with cake. It ain’t about thee, it isn’t about me, it is about the, the United States is about liberty, so ‘Fox & Friends’ join us on the trail, we’ll have some fun, I’ll see you out the trail.”

Mr Ramaswamy defended Mr Trump after the former president was indicted in four criminal cases this year.

During the interview with Newsmax, Mr Trump also floated the names of Mr McMaster and Ms Noem as possible vice president choices.

The ex-president is travelling to South Dakota next month for the Republican party’s “Monumental Leaders Rally”. Local media reported citing sources that Ms Kristi, South Dakota’s governor, has developed close ties with Mr Trump and the friendship could lead to a running mate nomination.

Despite the former president being indicted on four new felony charges on 1 August in relation to attempts to overturn the 2020 election results, South Carolina governor Henry McMaster also continued his support for Trump’s 2024 presidential candidacy.

“I think that the prosecutor’s [special counsel Jack Smith] out of line. He’s been described as one that stretches the law, and perhaps the facts,” Mr McMaster told reporters.

“But reading about it, and reading those portions [of the indictment] that I have, I just do not see the substance. I don’t think the law fits; I don’t think the facts fit. This is a campaign against Donald Trump.”

Meanwhile, a visibly angry Mr Trump said he was innocent and again alleged “election interference”.

“You should be able to challenge an election. I believe the election was a rigged election,” he told the media. “I did nothing wrong and everybody knows it.”