'Of course': GOP's Byron Donalds open to being Trump running mate

Florida Republican Rep. Byron Donalds has expressed openness to serving as vice president under former President Donald Trump should the ex-commander-in-chief ask him join his 2024 presidential ticket.

"If it came up? Oh yeah, of course, because you have the opportunity to do really powerful things for the country and really help shape the country," he told Breitbart News when pressed on the matter. "But I’m a member of Congress. I just do my job. I let everybody else speculate on the other stuff."

With former Vice President Mike Pence running against Trump for the Republican nomination and the pair having largely fallen out since the end of the administration, the choice of Trump's possible running mate remains an open question.

Donalds has thrown his support behind Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and has often appeared with the former president on the campaign trail, though Trump has not made any announcement as to his choice of running mate thus far.

The Florida lawmaker was one of a handful of Republicans who expressed opposition to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy during the lengthy leadership battle in the lower chamber earlier this year. While he initially voted for McCarthy, he later voted for Ohio GOP Rep. Jim Jordan, before becoming the standard bearer for the California Republican's conservative detractors and receiving many votes himself.

He has held office since 2021.

Other speculated vice presidential picks for Trump include South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, both of whom are running against him in the primary contest. Tech mogul and fellow candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has also attracted attention as a potential choice.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.