Lara Trump says her potential Senate run is a 'no for now, not no forever'
- Lara Trump said she's not running for Senate in North Carolina in 2022, but may in the future.
- The daughter-in-law of the former president was rumored to be considering a bid.
- Former President Donald Trump endorsed Rep. Ted Budd on Saturday instead.
Lara Trump announced Saturday evening she would not be running for Senate in 2022, knocking down months of rumors and speculation while leaving open the possibility for a future bid.
"I am saying no for now, not no forever," the North Carolina native told an audience at the North Carolina GOP state convention.
The daughter-in-law of former President Donald Trump cited her two young children as the main reasons she wouldn't run. She added that one is just a year old and the other is 3.
"When you do something, you give 100%. That is the only way to operate," she said. "At the right time, I would absolutely love to come back and consider running for something here in my home state because I love it dearly."
Donald Trump lauded Lara Trump, saying she would have been "tough" to defeat.
"But I think she did the right thing for her and for her family," he added.
Instead, Donald Trump endorsed Rep. Ted Budd in his speech Saturday evening, noting that a number of potential candidates had waited until Lara Trump had made her decision before announcing their candidacies.
"He will fight like hell. He will fight like nobody fights," he said.