Donald Trump's ex-wife says she is 'open' to serving as his vice president

Donald Trump's ex-wife Marla Maples said she is open to helping the former president's reelection campaign in any way, even if that means serving as his vice president.

The presumptive Republican nominee's second wife said everyone in the Trump family is supporting his 2024 campaign in an interview with The Evening Standard this week. She defended Trump when asked about his criminal conviction and said she didn't think "there was a crime done" in response to a jury finding him liable for sexual abuse of the writer E. Jean Carroll. Maples laughed at sources' claims that she has ambitions to be Trump's running mate but did not rule it out as a possibility.

More: Biden faces crucial day to answer critics amid growing Democratic dissent: Live updates

"Someone would have to ask my ex-husband about that," Maples told The Evening Standard before adding, "I'm open. I'm open to whatever way that I can serve."

The pair married in 1993, shortly after the birth of their daughter Tiffany, and divorced in 1999. She said she has forgiven Trump for their past disagreements, citing the fact that marriages are challenging, "especially when you play them out in the media.”

Maples previously revealed she cautioned Trump about launching a bid for the White House while they were married in the 1990s.

"It’s something we thought about doing in the '90s, but I knew it would be difficult on the kids, it takes a big toll on kids, and Donny, Ivanka and Eric (Trump's three eldest children with his first wife) were much younger then," Maples said in a 2018 appearance on NBC.

Today, Trump views some of children and family members as close political confidants. During his administration, Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump worked as an adviser to her father and her husband Jared Kushner served as an assistant and senior adviser to the president. Both took no salary.

This year, Trump's daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, was appointed co-chair of the Republican National Committee and his son, Donald Trump Jr., has provided input on who should join him on the Republican ticket this November.

Rachel Barber is a 2024 election fellow at USA TODAY, focusing on politics and education. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, at @rachelbarber_

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Donald Trump's ex-wife Marla Maples 'open' to being his VP