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By Natalie Venegas
Weekend Reporter
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Republican governor Doug Burgum announced on Monday he will not be seeking a third term as governor, sparking speculation he may become Donald Trump's pick for vice president.
Burgum of North Dakota announced his presidential campaign in an opinion piece for the Wall Street Journal in June 2023. Viewed as a surprise and a long-shot candidate, Burgum leaned into his experience as a career businessman. However, Burgum dropped out of the race in December and endorsed Trump last week ahead of the Iowa caucus. The North Dakota governor previously supported Trump for president in 2016 and in 2020.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Burgum said, "Today we announced that we will not seek a third term as governor. Serving as governor and first lady of North Dakota has been one of the most incredible and rewarding experiences of our lives. We are eternally grateful to the citizens for giving us this opportunity."
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However, since the announcement, some have taken to X to express their thoughts on Burgum's announcement and the potential reasons he may be Trump's vice president.
Newsweek has reached out to Burgum's office via email for comment.
April Baumgarten, crime and courts reporter at The Forum noted the speculation saying , "After dripping out of the presidential race, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum says he won't seek a third term as the leader of the state. There has been speculation that Trump may pick Burgum as his running mate."
X user Dustin Grage said Burgum makes "a lot of sense" as Trump's running mate, adding that the governor would be someone that Trump's Make America Great Again supporters could get behind.
"Doug Burgum as Trump's running mate actually makes a lot of sense. There is no reason to endorse Trump and stump for him at the Iowa caucuses just to retire. He would be someone that MAGA can get behind, has cash to help with Trump's legal issues, can actually bring in moderate Republicans, and it's a great opportunity to build a national reputation," Grage wrote on X.
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The speculation comes after Trump, the front-runner for his party's 2024 nomination, has recently gained more momentum after winning the Republican caucus in Iowa last week. Trump won 51 percent of the vote, while Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina Governor and ex-United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley finished with 21.2 percent and 19.1 percent, respectively.
In addition, the former president took to the Iowa stage to praise Burgum, promising him an "important" role if he regains the White House.
"You need controversy for traction sometimes, and this guy is the most solid guy," Trump said in his speech in Iowa last week. "There's no controversy whatsoever. And he's one of the best governors in our country, and I hope that I'm going to be able to call on him to be a piece of the administration, a very important piece of the administration."
Harrison Krank, an X user, also outlined various reasons he believes Burgum may be Trump's potential vice president pick.
"Doug Burgum is likely going to be Trumps VP candidate and here is why: He is a candidate that will not steal the spotlight away from Trump (Vivek). He is from a different state than Trump (DeSantis is ineligible because of this). He announced today he will not seek a 3rd term as governor. Doug is similar to Trump in how they both began their political career with an executive level office. Both were outsiders. Burgum Flew with Trump to NY after the Iowa caucus," Krank wrote on X.
Another X user, Real Texan Politics simply added, "He's definitely eyeing for a Trump admin position"
However, others are also noting how Trump's possible vice president picks, including Burgum, are a "nightmare rotation."
Journalist Aaron Rupar, shared a photo on X of Fox News' lineup of Trump's vice president picks with the caption of "nightmare rotation."
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