North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum has emerged as a front-runner to be Donald Trump’s vice presidential running mate, as speculation continues over who the former president will pick.The Republican initially ran against Trump for the 2024 presidential nomination but soon dropped out and endorsed the former president.The two-term governor is a conservative business owner and could be seen as a safe choice for Trump, offering a balance similar to that provided by Mike Pence to Trump’s ticket in 2016.He is also one of America’s richest politicians, having once sold a software company to Microsoft for more than $1 billion.Speculation has been driven about Burgum by reports about the pair forming a close personal friendship and Burgum appearing frequently on the campaign trail for him.Newsweek has reached out to representatives for Trump and Burgum via email.Despite their growing closeness, Burgum was not always Trump’s biggest supporter. Here are some key things that Burgum has said.From critic to allyAfter launching his presidential bid in June 2023, Burgum generally avoided speaking about Trump, but at times implied criticism of him.When asked whether he would do business with Trump, Burgum told NBC News: “I don’t think so,” explaining: “I just think that it’s important that you’re judged by the company you keep.”Later that month, Burgum responded to questions from NBC News’ Chuck Todd about why he appeared to be reluctant to mention Trump’s name.”If I had 100 percent national name recognition, if I’d run for president before, if I was living in a major media market and everybody in the country knew me, that’d be a different spot,” he explained.”But I know from the private sector, when we were launching our little company, that we then built over a period of time into a billion-dollar company, you don’t start out by attacking the market-share leader, you start by telling people what you’ve got to offer.”The Republican governor recently walked back on his previous comments, telling Fox News in June that he had said he wouldn’t do business with Trump before getting to know him personally.”I wish every American could see him the way Kathryn and I have got to know him in the last six months, because this guy is tireless, he’s committed, he’s smart, he’s funny. He’s nothing like he’s portrayed in the press,” Burgum said.”And so if you asked me that same question today, I’d be like, absolutely, I would do business with him.”On the Capitol riot and election fraud claimsAs the Capitol was breached by Trump supporters on January 6, 2021, Burgum tweeted in condemnation of the violence, without naming Trump himself.”We support the right to peacefully protest. The violence happening at our nation’s Capitol is reprehensible and does not represent American values, and needs to stop immediately,” he wrote.One major point where Burgum has diverged from Trump is when it comes to the former president’s claims about election fraud in the 2020 election.”I believe that Joe Biden won the election,” Burgum told ABC in August 2023, marking the first time he clearly stated this view.In the same interview Burgum avoided answering questions about Trump’s indictments and alleged attempts to overturn the election, responding: “Everybody’s innocent until proven guilty.”In recent months, Burgum has expressed strong views about Trump’s legal woes, telling CNN’s Jake Tapper in May that it would be “a travesty of justice” if Trump were convicted.”If it was anybody else, this trial wouldn’t even be happening,” Burgum said.He was also one of several Republicans who attended the trial in a show of support for Trump.On the campaign trailIn recent months, Burgum has been clear in his support of the former president, becoming one of his most active surrogates on the campaign trail. He has appeared at several dinners, conventions and rallies in support of Trump.While speaking at a rally in New Jersey in May, Burgum praised Trump and said that being governor during his presidency was like “having a beautiful breeze at your back.”And after appearing at a Trump rally in Michigan in June, Burgum heaped more praise on the former president.”He thinks about solutions in pure common sense, and he thinks about it in terms of what’s best for America,” he said of Trump, according to Fox News.”He is super curious. You go to a fundraiser with him or a roundtable, and he’ll ask questions of everybody that’s there. He’s always sampling, he’s always learning. So I think he’s getting great input and he’s getting input from the American people on these policies.”About being VPBurgum has repeatedly deflected questions about whether he will become Trump’s running mate.”I know there’s a ton of interest in this process that’s going on right now about the VP thing, but I think what’s clear is President Trump, who’s winning across every demographic, can win this whole thing on himself,” he told Fox News’ Sean Hannity on June 19.
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