Tulsi Gabbard says she is open to prospect of serving as Trump's VP

In a development that has sparked a flurry of discussion in GOP circles, former Democratic Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard revealed on Friday that she would be open to the idea of serving as Donald Trump's vice president should the offer be extended, as The Hill reports.

Gabbard's statement came during an appearance on Jesse Watters Primetime, amid growing speculation about the former president and current Republican primary front-runner's VP shortlist.

Statement of interest

As Breitbart noted, during their primetime chat, Watters was direct in his questioning of the former Democrat, saying, “Tulsi, you're being considered for a VP slot. Is that something you're open to?”

Gabbard replied in similarly straightforward fashion, declaring, “I would be open to that.”

Elaborating on the possibility, the former lawmaker added, “My mission is to serve our country. I want to be in a position to solve problems, Jesse, and we've got a lot of them to solve.”

Shortlist rumors swirl

Interest in Trump's vice-presidential deliberations have shown no signs of abating in recent weeks, and during a town hall event in South Carolina last month, the former president offered some insight – though no concrete answers – about who might be in the running.

Fox News host Laura Ingraham rattled off a list of rumored contenders that included entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, Florida Rep. Byron Donalds, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, and Gabbard.

Ingraham pressed Trump by asking, “Are they all on your short list?”

Trump responded by saying, “Honestly, all of those people are good. They're all good, they're all solid.”

List expands by one

One name that was not part of Ingraham's recitation, but which has since emerged as another potential prospect is that of Texas Gov. Greg Abbot, whose praises Trump was singing during another Fox News interview last week.

During an appearance on Hannity after his visit to Eagle Pass, Texas, to highlight the worsening border crisis, Trump was asked whether Abbott might be under consideration for the 2024 GOP ticket.

“He's done a great job,” Trump said of Abbott, adding, “Yes, certainly. He would be somebody that I would very much consider,” throwing another element of speculation into the intriguing political mix.