2024-01-17 22:50:36
NEW HAMPSHIRE — North Dakota
Gov. Doug Burgum
said he was thinking about the best interest of his state when he endorsed former President Donald Trump, but he hasn’t made a concrete decision about
being part of the frontrunner’s team
if Trump secures a second term.
Burgum, a Republican who ran for president himself, endorsed Trump a day before Trump’s victory on Monday, Jan. 15, in the Iowa Caucus. Trump received 51% of the vote for the bid to become the Republican nominee, steamrolling competitors like Florida Gov. Ron. DeSantis and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.
In a victory speech in Des Moines, Iowa, Trump said he would like Burgum to be a “very important piece of his administration.” Burgum, who spoke Wednesday with The Forum from New Hampshire, said he did not expect the president to say those kind words, nor did the governor run expecting a cabinet position.
As he was preparing to return to North Dakota, Burgum said Trump best aligns with the governor’s presidential campaign message of improving the energy sector, the U.S. economy and national security. He also said he thought about the best interest of North Dakotans when endorsing Trump.
“Whoever is their president is going to matter a lot,” Burgum told The Forum on Wednesday morning.
Burgum traveled with Trump to New Hampshire to support the Republican frontrunner ahead of the East Coast state’s primary on Tuesday. Burgum said he expects the primaries to be over soon, insinuating Trump will be named the Republican nominee.
Gov. Doug Burgum his wife Kathryn wave to the crowd from the stage at the Sanctuary Events Center in Fargo on Wednesday, June 7, 2023.
David Samson/The Forum
The governor suspended his campaign in December after failing to qualify for the third and fourth Republican debates. He secured enough financial support but couldn’t gain traction in the polls.
In his victory speech on Monday, Trump called Burgum a solid guy with no controversy, suggesting that’s why the governor couldn’t gain momentum in the polls.
Still, Trump said Burgum was one of the best governors in the country. There has been speculation Trump may ask Burgum to be his vice president, but the expected Republican nominee hasn’t made any announcements about his pick for a running mate.
Burgum didn’t say whether he would take a cabinet position from Trump if offered. He also hasn’t declared his candidacy for a third term as governor, though he said he expects to announce his plans later this month.
He said he wants a presidential candidate who can defeat President Joe Biden. Biden’s policies have been bad for both North Dakota and the U.S., he said, and the country needs a 180-degree turn from the Democrat.
“It is an unbelievable amount of one-size-fits-all,” Burgum said of Biden’s decisions while in the White House.
The North Dakota governor predicted the presidential election will be tight, and he said supporters of Trump need to do what they can to get him back in Washington, D.C.
Burgum previously said he would not do business with Trump. When asked what changed, the governor reiterated his comments about doing what is best for the state.
April Baumgarten has been a journalist in North Dakota since 2011. She joined The Forum in February 2019 as an investigative reporter. Readers can reach her at 701-241-5417 or [email protected].
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