Who Will Be Trump’s Running Mate?
Author: Greg Valliere
April 30, 2024
A BIG FIELD: Donald Trump has at least a dozen potential running mates, and they’re all eager to run with the ex-president, who turns 78 this spring. You can be sure that all of the candidates are aware that 15 vice presidents have gone on to become president.
THE VP ISSUE IS IN THE NEWS with the revelation this past weekend that a leading contender, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, shot and killed the family dog. Noem defended this in her new book, but her VP chances have crashed.
THE FIELD IS NOW even more wide open, with everyone in Washington making their bets on who Trump picks. Here’s our handicapping, in order of their chances:
1. J.D. VANCE: A rising star and a fierce Trump supporter, the Ohio conservative reportedly talks with Trump regularly on issues like immigration and the economy. Vance was a Trump critic a few years ago, but he knows what it takes to get elected in the GOP. So now he’s our frontrunner. Could this hurt GOP prospects in Ohio? A little, but the Buckeye state has already veered rightward.
2. ELISE STEFANIK: Name recognition is a problem for the fiercely pro-Trump congresswoman from upstate New York, but she has plenty of support within the party. Stefanik is young (she turns 40 this summer) and has been in Congress since 2015. Stefanik has made it clear that she wants the VP job.
3. GREG ABBOTT: The solidly conservative Texas governor would be the ideal candidate if Trump wants to make immigration a signature issue. Abbott is handicapped, confined to a wheelchair after a running accident. He’s our long-shot favorite.
4 TIM SCOTT: It’s mandatory to put the affable African American on every VP list, but he ran a mediocre campaign for the nomination and wouldn’t bring much to the ticket.
5. RON DeSANTIS: He wants to be on the short list in 2028, so DeSantis has reluctantly sent signals that he would run with Trump. They allegedly have mended fences, but these two have bad chemistry together.
6. BYRON DONALDS: A fiery conservative, here’s a candidate to watch. Donalds, who is an African American House member from Florida, is outstanding on TV and would bring tremendous energy to a Trump ticket.
7. DOUG BURGUM: Solid, rich, relatively moderate — Burnum, the former governor of North Dakota, is the type of Republican who used to be on the ticket. But the party needs someone more dynamic.
8. GLENN YOUNGKIN: He’s had a rocky year with the Virginia legislature, but Youngkin brings lots of cash to the dance and still has presidential ambitions.
9. NIKKI HALEY: She makes the list simply because she’s a great talent, quick and charming and fierce. She will run in 2028, but she’s a moderate in a party that’s very conservative.
10. SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS: Well liked within the party, the Arkansas governor and her father would guarantee strong support from evangelical Christians (not that Trump needs much help with this group).
BOTTOM LINE: Trump will tease this nomination for at least another two months. Trump and Vance would be a good fit, but is it time to put a woman or a person of color on the ticket? And there’s a glaring shortfall on this list: there’s no one with extensive geopolitical experience other than Haley, who Trump has mocked as a “birdbrain.”
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