
I , have n’t seen anyone asking , serious , questions about North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum. Alternatively, those in charge of screening Donald Trump’s possible vice presidential get seem to be relying , on voters ‘ impressions of , an , charming Midwest guy. Some North Dakotans who are aware of this ca n’t stand the idea of Bill Gates ‘ friend anywhere near the White House.
To be honest, Burgum, a top , surrogate , for Trump, has a very nice self- made- man story. Kimney sweep, who won, worked his way up, made friends with his boss at Microsoft, sold his business for$ 1.1 billion, and continued to help things.  ,
The problem is with the assessing.  ,
It , may be nice , to include confidence , that , the , vetting went beyond mere , Wiki requests and phone , calls to people who have been employed by the person.  ,
He seems folksy. Genuine. He wore trousers to his opening and , emceed , the occasion himself like a Ted Speak.  ,
Burgum’s Record During Covid
But why is it that nobody inquires as to how he actually fared during Covid? South Dakota and Florida rulers ‘ performances , were truly pored over, but Burgum gets a move.
He funded and promoted a monitoring software for people in North Dakota through Covid.  , One fortnight after the Covid stress hit the position, Burgum announced a collaboration with the , North Dakota Department of Health , and an in- state , designer known for , creating , the Bison Tracker software. He , repeatedly , pushed the citizens of his condition to use , Care19, an app that “more efficiently and effectively” identified persons who might have been in contact with others who had tested positive.
I , doubt , President Trump would remain thrilled , by these security efforts.
Burgum’s Have of Confirmation
Burgum has often chosen a way. He ‘s , certainly his , individual person. He half wrote his narrative and established his company, and it paid off, and it paid off. He poured a lot of money into the state media.  , When bombarded with his communications, North Dakotans took a prospect on him , half.  ,
Burgum , is about to finish his next two- time term , and is eligible to run for a last phrase, but , he announced earlier in the cycle , he is not running afterwards as governor.
Incidentally, he was always endorsed at a solitary North Dakota Republican protocol. Some have asked why. He skipped the usual procedure of being nominated by his group at the condition convention half; he decided to jump straight to the principal. Republicans who believe attending a protocol is their chance to vette their prospects in person are viewed as offended by this. One may argue that by going straight to the key, you are signaling that cash and marketing are more essential than the people you serve.
Trump , consistently , gets over 60 percent of the vote , in North Dakota. But,  , pertinently, Burgum was  , no chosen as the committee head from North Dakota for the Republican National Convention in July. The highest-ranking Republican is the person chosen by the group to serve as the committee chair and the one who will have the honor of serving as the face of “roll contact” for your state on television, according to a long-standing custom.
State agreement voters not just relegated , Burgum , to extra status and seats at the convention,  , but two U. S. senators and the state’s second congressman preceded him on the opposite list.  , He cannot be elected delegate chair by the delegation if he’s not a delegate.  ,
Yes, there is only silence on the matter because a sitting governor and former presidential candidate is not endorsed by his own party at the 2024 national convention. This demonstrates that Burgum is more well-known than the grassroots of his home state among those who are not well-versed in him.
Foreign Influence
One of the most troubling , lapses of the vice presidential vetting process , is , Burgum ‘s , allowing , foreign influence in North Dakota.  ,
In 2022, Burgum argued that a Chinese-owned wet corn milling plant ( Fufeng ) should be located just 12 miles and a half from a sensitive and crucial North Dakota Air Force base.  ,
Then , he ran for president of the United States.  , He , was all in for the economic development gains for the state until the political winds changed. Then he joined the citizens of Grand Forks and the rest of the state in calling for more vigilance at the local level.  ,
He ‘s , still , all- in on the eminent- domain- for- private- gain scheme of piping other states ‘ carbon dioxide emissions , deep into the North Dakota soil.  , We ‘re , used to pipelines here, but CO2 at 2, 183 psi , in a 24- inch diameter pipe traveling 2, 500 miles — built by a company new to such pipelines— is an asphyxiant of mammoth proportions, to say nothing of private property rights.  ,  ,
Economic opportunities appear to cloud , his , judgment on security , and safety.
There are far more questions , that need to be answered.  ,
North Dakotans want , people to make their own decisions, but we should do some on- the- ground investigation before jumping , on the , Burgum , bandwagon.
Lori Hinz lives in North Dakota.