Trump lays out criteria for his vice presidential pick while teasing shortlist: ‘A lot of good people’

Former President Donald Trump previewed his criteria for selecting a vice president and acknowledged some personnel mishaps during his first administration.

“It’s gotta be who is going to be a good president. You always have to think that,” Trump told Fox Business Network’s “Sunday Morning Futures.” “I have a lot of good people. We have a lot of really good people.

“I have a lot of good ideas, but I haven’t — and there’s no reason to do that quickly,” he added, before calling Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) “a real tiger” and lauding South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem for not running against him.

Trump said he won’t announce his VP pick for a “while” and also fessed up to making personnel mistakes in his first term.

“Of course, but everybody does. Obama had. What about Biden? Look at the people running this Biden thing. The difference is, I fire people,” Trump said when pressed by host Maria Bartiromo. “I fired Comey. I got rid of him.”

The 77-year-old former president explained that he had been an outsider before taking office in 2016 and now has more familiarity with political talent.

“I also know people that I didn’t know before. I know now the smart ones. I know the dumb ones. I know the weak ones and the strong ones.”

Trump revealed he intends to bring some old Cabinet members back in a hypothetical second term.

At another point in the interview, while stressing that Chinese leader Xi Jinping was a “very good friend of mine during my term,” Trump predicted that China would meddle in the 2024 election against him.

“I think they will. And they won’t be interfering on my behalf. We should go same-day voting, paper ballots, voter ID, and no mail-in ballots,” he said.

Xi reportedly promised President Biden that China won’t interfere in the 2024 race. Trump further suggested that he plans to slap even more than the 60% tariffs against China he’s rumored to be considering.

When asked about how he was going to bring the “anti-Trumpers” back on board, Trump highlighted his record on domestic policy.

“I don’t know if they’re really anti-Trumpers. They want — they want security. They want safety. They want a great economy. They want a strong border,” he said.

He said that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) wants to endorse me, that’s what I hear.” Trump has long hammered McConnell and hurled incendiary attacks against his wife.

At one point, Trump weighed in on the Republican National Committee’s bleak fundraising figures. The RNC began the year with $8 million cash on hand, the lowest sum since 2013, compared to the Democratic National Committee with $21 million cash on hand.

Trump noted that he has “a lot of money” and then insinuated that RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel may need to be replaced.

“I think she did great when she ran Michigan for me. I think she did OK initially in the RNC. I would say, right now, there will probably be some changes made,” he said.

Ahead of the Nov. 5 election, Trump has been slapped with 91 criminal counts.

“It’s all about courage. You have to have courage for the country,” he said. “If I didn’t run or if I was in fifth place, I wouldn’t have any indictments.”

“Anytime I get indicted, it’s an honor, because I’m doing it for you and the people agree with it.”

Trump has pleaded not guilty to all of those counts against him and denied wrongdoing.

Last week in Manhattan federal court the former president was hit with an $83.3 million jury verdict for defaming advice columnist E. Jean Carroll.

Biden and his allies have cast Trump as a threat to democracy and called attention to remarks he made on Fox News last December about being a dictator for one day.

“Now, that was said in jest,” Trump explained. “Biden is bad for democracy because he’s incompetent,” he later added.

One particular issue Trump zinged Biden for was the strike from an Iranian proxy that killed three US soldiers in Jordan last month.

“Would have never happened with me. I had Iran in check,” he said. “I can’t tell you what I do. I know exactly what I would do. It’s subject to change, of course, but I know exactly what I would do.”

Biden has ordered retaliatory strikes on targets in the region in response. So far, the US has carried out at least two such strikes, including in parts of Iraq, Syria, and Yemen.

Back in December, The Post reported that Trump was eyeing a rally in the Bronx as he tries to expand the general election map.

“Yes, I think I will do that,” Trump said. “I think I will do one maybe at Madison Square Garden, too.”