Who will Donald Trump pick for VP?
By Tim Reid
July 9 (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is expected to announce in coming days his pick for a running mate to help take on Democratic President Joe Biden in November.
Trump said on Monday he is likely to reveal the pick for his No. 2 "a little before" or during the Republican National Convention which kicks off on July 15, when he and his running mate will be formally nominated and become the party's official presidential ticket. Trump's list of contenders has narrowed in recent weeks. It includes U.S. senators, governors and other Trump allies. They are almost all men. Sources say the deliberations are fluid, and the former president could still choose someone who isn't on most people's radar. Trump is also monitoring the fallout from Biden's disastrous debate performance last month and said it could make a difference in who he picks.
Here is a look at some potential Trump running mates:
DOUG BURGUM
Burgum, a multi-millionaire former software executive who now serves as North Dakota's governor, has risen up the list of possible Trump running mates. Burgum gained some national name recognition when he announced his own presidential bid as a Trump rival in 2023. Burgum's White House run was relatively short-lived, and after dropping out of the primary race he was quick to endorse Trump and become a loyal defender. Trump likes the 67-year-old Burgum's background as a successful business executive and views him as a safe pair of hands, people familiar with Trump's thinking say. Burgum is still a relative unknown, however, and he does not bring any geographical help to the ticket, as North Dakota is a safe Republican state. Burgum also signed one of the strictest anti-abortion laws in the country in 2023, a potential problem for Trump, who has not taken such an extreme stance on abortion.
MARCO RUBIO
The Miami-born Rubio, 53, has emerged as a leading contender for the vice presidential nod, sources familiar with the matter said. Rubio, a longtime U.S. senator from Florida and son of Cuban immigrants, ran unsuccessfully in 2016 for the Republican presidential nomination eventually won by Trump. Rubio endorsed Trump for the 2024 nomination in January. Aides to Trump say Rubio could help the former president peel away Hispanic voters from Biden in battleground states. As the top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee, Rubio would also bring foreign policy chops. The U.S. Constitution poses a problem, however, since it bans the electors who formally select the president and vice president from voting for both from their home state - and both Trump and Rubio call Florida home.
J.D. VANCE
Vance, 39, who is serving his first term as a U.S. senator for Ohio, is another top contender for Trump's running mate, according to sources. It is quite a U-turn for Vance, who rose to fame in 2016 with his memoir "Hillbilly Elegy" about growing up poor in Appalachia. That year Vance was a fierce critic of Trump, at one point calling him "cultural heroin." Since 2018, however, Vance has embraced Trump, who endorsed him when he ran for Senate in 2022. Vance is seen as young, smart and a skilled defender of Trump.
TIM SCOTT Scott, a U.S. senator from South Carolina who is Black, has become a fiercely loyal Trump ally since he ended his own presidential bid in November. Aides have been urging Trump to pick a woman or a Black man to add diversity to the ticket and attract more moderate voters. Trump has publicly praised the 58-year-old lawmaker, calling him a "great advocate." It remains to be seen whether the mild-mannered Scott would be well-suited for the traditional "attack dog" role of a running mate. Scott is also a formidable fundraiser, and money is something Trump will need to take on Biden's campaign war chest, as well as to pay his mounting legal bills.
ELISE STEFANIK
Stefanik, a U.S. representative from New York, is another fiercely loyal Trump ally and a rising star in the Republican Party as the House's highest-ranking woman. She gained national prominence in December after embarrassing the heads of three top universities about antisemitism on their campuses during a congressional hearing. Two of them later resigned, including the president of Stefanik's alma mater, Harvard University. Stefanik was one of the 147 members of Congress who voted not to certify Biden's 2020 election win on Jan. 6, 2021, the day Trump supporters rioted at the U.S. Capitol. There are concerns among some Republicans that Stefanik, 40, may be too inexperienced for the presidential ticket.
TOM COTTON
The second-term U.S. senator from Arkansas has unexpectedly emerged as a contender for Trump's running mate in recent weeks. Cotton, 47, is a U.S. Army veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and a Harvard-educated attorney. A Trump loyalist, Cotton is a frequent guest on cable news shows, something Trump likes. He may reflect Trump's desire to have a steady operator on the presidential ticket who will not stir up controversy.
GLENN YOUNGKIN
Youngkin, serving his first term as Virginia's governor, has emerged recently as another vice presidential contender. The 57-year-old is seen by some Trump allies as having the ability to appeal to more moderate voters, beyond Trump's fiercely loyal base. Democrats have won Virginia in recent presidential election cycles, but Trump's team believe it could be in play this year. If Youngkin could help move the state back into the Republican column it would be a great electoral prize for Trump.
BYRON DONALDS Donalds, 45, is a Black U.S. representative from Florida. A conservative who belonged to the far-right Tea Party movement, he voted not to certify Biden's 2020 election win on Jan. 6, 2021. After Trump told Fox News in February that Donalds was on his short list, Donalds told Reuters the prospect was "pretty cool" and confirmed he wanted to be Trump's running mate. Donalds in June was criticized for controversial remarks when he appeared to express nostalgia for the Jim Crow era, named after a series of U.S. laws that defined the height of racial segregation. Democrats called his comments outrageous and ignorant; Donalds said his comments were taken out of context. (Reporting by Tim Reid; Additional reporting by Steve Holland, Gram Slattery and Alexandra Ulmer; Editing by Colleen Jenkins, Daniel Wallis and Rosalba O'Brien)
