Here's Who's On and Off the List of Trump's Most Likely VPs

Top line

Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., publicly acknowledged his interest Wednesday in becoming former President Donald Trump’s running mate, as he and other contenders made the pilgrimage to New York this week to support Trump during his secret trial in Manhattan. become a sort of loyalty test for candidates for the post of vice president.

Former President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at SNHU Arena on January 20, 2024. … (+) in Manchester, New Hampshire. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

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Highlights

Senator Tim Scott, South Carolina: Trump’s former Republican primary challenger told a Newsmax reporter on Wednesday, a day after appearing at a Manhattan fundraiser with Trump, “if you’re the guy moderating (the vice presidential debate), maybe- be that I’ll talk to you,” adding “we’ll see, we’ll see,” when asked if he would be on Trump’s ticket.

North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum: Burgum also spoke outside of Trump’s trial this week, days after appearing alongside him at a rally in New Jersey, where he told the New York Post that Trump had said earlier this month- here at Mar-a-Lago (perhaps the Easter brunch Burgum attended): there were 50 people on his vice presidential shortlist.

Senator JD Vance, Ohio: Vance, who told Fox News in April that he had “never talked” to Trump about becoming his vice presidential nominee, was the first on the list of suitors to appear at his trial in Manhattan this week, then attended a private fundraiser with Trump in Cincinnati. Tuesday.

Senator Marco Rubio, Florida: NBC reported in March that Trump was considering Rubio, while Rubio told Politico in response to the report that he hadn’t “talked to anyone” about the prospect in Trump’s campaign, but called him a “incredible honor and opportunity”.

Representative Byron Donalds, Florida: The Florida congressman attended Trump’s trial this week, as well as Tuesday’s fundraiser in Manhattan, and although he is often touted as a potential Trump vice presidential pick, Trump reportedly suggested that he would support Donalds in another role at Tuesday’s fundraiser: governor of Florida, NBC reportedciting an anonymous source.

Representative Elise Stefanik, NY: The Republican Conference chairwoman is one of Trump’s most loyal supporters in Congress: she was one of the first members to support his 2024 presidential bid and constantly promotes his allegations of election fraud and frequently criticizes his legal problems in television interviews.

Senator Tom Cotton, Ark. : Frequently touted by pundits and the press as a potential vice presidential pick, Cotton has refused to weigh in on the vice presidential contest, telling ABC in early May: “Anyone who campaigns for the job or lobbies for the job n It’s not helpful to what we all should be. focused on winning elections.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis: Trump met with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in Miami, the Washington Post reported, raising speculation that he could be in the running, although the meeting was reportedly aimed at recruiting DeSantis’ network of donors to help Trump and d burying the hatchet after Trump repeatedly attacked DeSantis while he was still in the presidential race.

Tangent

Several early contenders have reportedly been eliminated from the potential shortlist. Arizona Republican Senate candidate Kari Lake is no longer in the running, the Washington Post reported, citing five anonymous sources who said Trump had expressed annoyance and frustration with Lake and had sought to distance himself from her, fearing she would lose the Arizona Senate race. and he will be associated with his loss. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, who Trump previously called a “strong” potential choice, was embroiled in backlash after admitting in her new book that she shot and killed the “untrainable” 14-month-old » and “dangerous” from his family. puppy, Cricket, then turned his gun on one of his “mean and evil” goats. While this admission is widely seen as having hurt his chances of becoming vice president, Trump staunchly defended Noem, describing the book incident as a “bad week” and Noem as “great.” Trump denied a May report that his former challenger, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (who has not supported Trump since dropping out of the race) was in the running for his vice presidential pick, writing on Truth Social “She’s not under consideration… but I wish her luck! Trump also ruled out his former GOP primary challenger, biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, for the role, Bloomberg reported in March, citing sources who said Trump told Ramaswamy he was considering seeing him for a cabinet position instead.

Crucial quote

Trump told Fox Business in January that the main criteria for choosing a vice president was someone who could “be a good president.” . . in case of emergency.”

Surprising fact

Donald Trump Jr. suggested in January that his father might bring in former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, telling Newsmax: “I would love to see that happen.” » Trump also stoked rumors about Carlson, telling podcast hosts Clay Travis and Buck Sexton in November, “I guess I would consider it.” Carlson, who once texted a confidant saying he “hates Trump) passionately,” has since rekindled his relationship with the former president, interviewing him in a counterprogram that aired during the first GOP primary debate that Trump had snubbed and supported him for president. Carlson, however, ruled out the possibility of becoming Trump’s running mate, telling Megyn Kelly in a podcast interview last month that a career in politics was “unimaginable.”

Contra

Several candidates have obvious disadvantages. Rubio and DeSantis would attract the same base of voters in their home states as Trump because they are all from Florida, something Rubio mentioned when Fox News asked him in January about the prospect of joining Trump’s ticket . Stefanik represents a decidedly blue state that Trump certainly cannot win. And Scott broke with Trump’s Republican allies in Congress and voted to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election. Trump has a thorny history with his previous vice president, Mike Pence, who dropped out of the GOP presidential race in October. Pence publicly criticized Trump for urging him not to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election, which he refused to do, saying Trump asked him to “choose between him and the Constitution.” Trump responded that Pence was “delusional.”

What we don’t know

When Trump will make the decision to become a vice presidential candidate. He said in a recent interview with Fox6 in Milwaukee that he would announce his vice presidential pick closer to the Republican National Convention, which begins July 15 in Milwaukee. “It’s very early,” he added. Trump’s campaign is vetting candidates, but he has yet to hold one-on-one meetings with candidates, Bloomberg reported.

Key context

Trump and President Joe Biden clinched their respective parties’ nominations on March 12, making the 2024 primary season one of the shortest in decades. The Republican National Committee is expected to formalize Trump’s nomination at its convention in Milwaukee in July, and the Democratic National Committee will hold its convention in Chicago in August. Trump has given no public indication of who the vice president will be, but regularly praises a number of candidates. He shared his views on 11 potential vice presidential candidates at a recent fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago, calling Scott “incredible” as a campaign surrogate; Burgum ‘very rich’ (Forbes estimates he’s worth at least $100 million); and Noem “someone I love,” he reportedly said in a recording obtained by Axios. Trump mentioned his former GOP primary opponents DeSantis, biotechs Ramaswamy and Scott, as well as Donalds, Noem and former Democratic Rep.-turned-independent Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii when Fox asked about his potential vice candidates -presidency in February, calling them “all solid”. “, while singling out Scott, who was in the audience, as a “great advocate.” In December, Trump named South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster and Stefanik, calling her a “killer” when asked who could join his ticket at a dinner at Mar-a-Lago in December, NBC News reported.

Here’s Who’s On and Off the List of Trump’s Most Likely VPs