Handicapping Trump’s VP Pick
Author: Greg Valliere
March 1, 2024
AFTER NEXT TUESDAY’S delegate haul by Donald Trump, the only real suspense left for the Republicans is who Trump will pick as his running mate. It’s a long list, with some names that are unfamiliar to most voters, so Trump will tease endlessly, hoping to keep the speculation alive.
BASED ON WHAT WE’RE HEARING, neither Ron DeSantis nor Nikki Haley are on the list, but you never know – they both want to be president, they see a nominee who’s about to turn 78, and the desire to run with him is obvious. Other names may enter the mix (J.D. Vance of Ohio?) but for now, here’s our top ten:
10. Sarah Huckabee Sanders: The Arkansas governor is a well-spoken conservative with good name recognition from her days as the White House press secretary.
9. Kari Lake – A fierce Trump ally, Lake is running for the Senate in Arizona this year, but she has indicated that she would jump in a minute if Trump called her.
8 Tim Scott – The South Carolina African American ran a terrible presidential race, but he says all the right things to Trump and is on the VP short list.
7. Byron Donalds – An African American congressman, Donalds is a rising star in the party and a solid GOP presence on the Sunday talk shows. The fiery Florida congressman is worth watching.
6. Elise Stefanik – Sharp and partisan, the ambitious upstate New York congresswoman isn’t well known throughout the country, but she’s a power player in Washington. You want to bet on a long shot? She’s the one.
5. Vivek Ramaswamy – He veered into conspiracy theories in the final weeks of his campaign, but Ramaswamy would bring a great energy to the ticket. Is he ready for the presidency?
4. Tom Cotton – Trump needs some credibility on foreign policy, so the articulate Arkansas defense hawk may get a serious look. Cotton has a very impressive resume.
3. Greg Abbott – No stranger to controversy, Abbott is a fierce critic of Joe Biden’s immigration policy and a favorite of Trump’s. Confined to a wheelchair after a freak jogging accident, Abbott would add a fresh angle to the 2024 narrative.
2. Glenn Youngkin – On our short list, the Virginia governor could keep his seat if he runs, and we think he has the political skills to add some credibility to a Trump ticket. Youngkin would be the perfect “do no harm” candidate.
1. Kristi Noem – Perhaps the favorite, the photogenic Noem has made no secret of her ambitions. The South Dakota Gov. is a vocal Trump ally and a party favorite who might help the ticket in the Midwest.
* * * * *
SHUTDOWN UPDATE: The endless, boring, dysfunctional budget fight has gotten another extension. The new deadlines are March 8 for a small bill and March 22 for the big one. There’s a serious deadline – April 30. If there’s no budget deal by then, automatic cuts will take effect, and the desire to avoid that could finally prompt a deal in about a month.
The views expressed in this blog are provided as a general source of information based on information available as of the date of publication and should not be considered as personal investment advice or an offer or solicitation to buy and/or sell securities. Speculation or stated believes about future events, such as market or economic conditions, company or security performance, or other projections represent the beliefs of the author and do not necessarily represent the view of AGF, its subsidiaries or any of its affiliated companies, funds or investment strategies. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy in these commentaries at the time of publication; however, accuracy cannot be guaranteed. Market conditions may change and AGF accepts no responsibility for individual investment decisions arising from the use of or reliance on the information contained herein. Any financial projections are based on the opinions of the author and should not be considered as a forecast. The forward looking statements and opinions may be affected by changing economic circumstances and are subject to a number of uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in the forward looking statements. The information contained in this commentary is designed to provide you with general information related to the political and economic environment in the United States. It is not intended to be comprehensive investment advice applicable to the circumstances of the individual.
AGF Investments is a group of wholly owned subsidiaries of AGF Management Limited, a Canadian reporting issuer. The subsidiaries included in AGF Investments are AGF Investments Inc. (AGFI), AGF Investments America Inc. (AGFA), AGF Investments LLC (AGFUS) and AGF International Advisors Company Limited (AGFIA). AGFA and AGFUS are registered advisors in the U.S. AGFI is a registered as a portfolio manager across Canadian securities commissions. AGFIA is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland and registered with the Australian Securities & Investments Commission. The subsidiaries that form AGF Investments manage a variety of mandates comprised of equity, fixed income and balanced assets.
About AGF Management Limited
Founded in 1957, AGF Management Limited (AGF) is an independent and globally diverse asset management firm. Our companies deliver excellence in investing in the public and private markets through three business lines: AGF Investments, AGF Capital Partners and AGF Private Wealth.
AGF brings a disciplined approach, focused on incorporating sound, responsible and sustainable corporate practices. The firm’s collective investment expertise, driven by its fundamental, quantitative and private investing capabilities, extends globally to a wide range of clients, from financial advisors and their clients to high-net worth and institutional investors including pension plans, corporate plans, sovereign wealth funds, endowments and foundations.
Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, AGF has investment operations and client servicing teams on the ground in North America and Europe. AGF serves more than 800,000 investors. AGF trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol AGF.B.
For further information, please visit AGF.com.
©2024 AGF Management Limited. All rights reserved.
