I agree. Two white Protestant men from the Northeast just does not work. If Ramaswamy met the native born requirement, he would be a good choice. I don't trust Ted Cruz, and he was born in Canada to boot. I am skeptical of Kristi Noem, as she caved on the issue of protecting women sports from men in drag. There are rumors of an affair with man in Trump's circle. Additionally, South Dakota has not voted for a Democrat for President since 1972. Nikki Haley would be Mike Pence 2.0. DeSantis booted his chances by running a failing campaign against Trump, unfortunately. He would have been a great Vice President: a culture warrior, Catholic, and a Southerner.
Governor Abbott of Texas is a possibility: a Southerner, a Catholic, married to a Hispanic woman, wheelchair bound, and with tons of executive experience. The down side to Abbott is hat like his predecessors, Perry and Bush, his instincts are very moderate, not MAGA.
I hadn’t considered Abbott as a possibility because I don’t think he’d even consider it. And, Trump will carry Texas, anyway; so, the “native son” appeal won’t be a factor. That’s why I am inclined toward Trump tapping Kari Lake as his running mate, especially if the “native daughter” element has any play; because he needs to carry Arizona.