As former President Donald Trump’s polling lead over his Republican rivals has come to look insurmountable, more than 40 names have bubbled up in speculation about his pick for vice president in the 2024 election.
“People are talking about Trump VP picks because they recognize the primary is over and has been for quite some time,” Jason Meister, a New York-based adviser to the former president, told The Epoch Times. “Trump is polling stronger than he did in 2016 and 2020. He’s surging with blacks, independents, and younger Americans.”
That compares with about 11 percent support each for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor who served as President Trump’s ambassador to the United Nations.
President Trump’s dominance in the polls has persisted in spite of—or, some say, because of—the “lawfare” being waged against him. The former president faces 91 criminal charges that threaten his freedom, civil cases aimed at his financial empire, and state-level efforts to boot him from 2024 ballots.
Arguably, these precarious circumstances make it even more important to wisely choose a running mate, since a vice president must be prepared to step in if the president cannot, for some reason, fulfill his duties.
Even if the vice president doesn’t assume the role of president, the position often serves as a steppingstone to the presidency.
Among the past 10 presidents, four previously served as vice president, including the incumbent, Democrat President Joe Biden.
Shopping for the ideal vice president requires consideration of many variables. That person should possess political clout and experience and must embrace the presidential candidate’s proposed policies. He or she also should be capable of drawing more supporters into the fold.
In that vein, an ethnic minority or a female might make an advantageous vice president choice for President Trump, because such a person might bolster his support among those factions of voters.
Many of his supporters bristle at the notion of a “check-the-boxes” choice. But savvy presidential candidates always seek to “balance” the ticket and “fill in gaps” of their base, analysts say. Factors such as home state, ideology, and personal characteristics come into play.
Above all, President Trump has said he has one paramount requirement: his confidence that the person will do a good job.
Whomever he chooses, a good vice president cannot be overly charismatic and upstage the top of the ticket. This chosen leader also must be capable of being subordinate to the president.
Opinions All Over the Board
When choosing a running mate, an overarching principle should be “first, do no harm,” according to Aubrey Jewett, a political science professor at the University of Central Florida. He said it’s “the political equivalent of the Hippocratic oath that doctors take,” and it simply means that a vice presidential candidate cannot be a person who might “drag the ticket down.”The choice of a running mate seems to have little effect on whether a candidate becomes the presidential nominee or wins the presidency, Mr. Jewett said.
Still, many voters do pay at least some attention to the second name on the ticket. And, to some degree, they do judge presidential candidates by the company they keep. Voters see the vice presidential selection as “a sign of the presidential candidate’s judgment,” he said.
These are among the reasons people start buzzing about who might make a good running mate fairly early in an election cycle.
Speculation about President Trump’s possible running mate began more than two years ago—almost three years in advance of the Republican National Convention, where delegates will choose their nominee for the November ballot.
Customarily, presidential candidates announce their choice of a running mate a few days before the convention’s start; the GOP convention is set for July 15–18 in Milwaukee.
Although President Trump and his team have said they aren’t ready to talk about potential running mates, voters wonder who will make the cut—and some have begun voicing opinions about who they prefer.
When asked whom they favored as a running mate for President Trump, 35 percent named former Fox News personality Tucker Carlson. Only 6 percent named Mr. DeSantis.
Ohio businessman Vivek Ramaswamy was the sole would-be vice president who finished in the top three slots in both of those polls. He drew 16 percent support in the Newsweek survey and 26 percent in the AmericaFest poll.
Mr. DeSantis, Mr. Ramaswamy, and Ms. Haley have all publicly stated they have no desire to be second-in-command. So have a number of other people whose names have been mentioned.
Still, people who said they were uninterested in an offer might change their minds. So could President Trump.
The Epoch Times has compiled a list of potential Trump running mates based on political betting odds, surveys, political scientists’ opinions, online chatter, and interviews with insiders.
Possible Picks
US Sen. Tim Scott
For several reasons, the South Carolina lawmaker could bolster President Trump’s candidacy more than many of the other names that have been proposed in recent months.Mr. Scott is passionate about sharing his religious faith, endearing him to evangelical Christians—an important voting bloc that also found President Trump’s former vice president, Mr. Pence, appealing.
Although Mr. Scott often delivers powerful speeches, they’re tempered by a Southern-gentlemanlike, more genteel demeanor, Mr. Bullock said, which would provide a counterbalance to the brash native New York style of President Trump.
Mr. Scott, 58, comes across as “younger and more vigorous” than President Trump, Mr. Bullock said.
While campaigning for the presidency earlier this year, Mr. Scott largely avoided attacking President Trump. And the former president, known for aiming barbs at his opponents, had instead praised Mr. Scott.
Both men used the phrase “good guy” to describe each other in July 2023 amid persistent rumors about the Trump ticket.
Mr. Scott bowed out of the race in November 2023. One political insider told The Epoch Times that he had direct knowledge that Mr. Scott expressed gratitude to President Trump for a running mate offer but felt he had to turn it down.
The Epoch Times attempted to reach Mr. Scott for comment in late December, but his staff said he was unavailable during the Christmas-New Year’s holiday break.
Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley
Ms. Haley’s former gubernatorial and foreign policy experience, along with her status as a female and the daughter of immigrants from India, make her a logical pick—at least on paper. Both Mr. Jewett and Charles Bullock III, a political science professor at the University of Georgia, concur on those points.
But in reality, President Trump risks turning off many supporters if he dares to choose her.
Recently, media outlets began running a flurry of articles themed “Trump is secretly considering Haley as VP.” The reception from Trumpworld has been frosty.
Mr. Meister said: “I can’t predict who Trump will ultimately choose as his running mate, but I can tell you who it can’t be. It can’t be Haley.”
But Lara Trump, the wife of President Trump’s other adult son, Eric Trump, refused to rule out Ms. Haley.
Still, many of President Trump’s supporters dislike Ms. Haley so much that they swear they'll vote against any ticket that includes the name “Haley.”
However, the former president did concede that he and Ms. Haley have gotten along well, even though he considers her “somewhat disloyal” for breaking her promise not to run against him. “But that’s a politician,” he said.
President Trump “doesn’t seem to have the same sort of animosity against her” as he does against Mr. DeSantis, Mr. Jewett said.
Mr. Bullock noted that Ms. Haley, 51, would provide a more youthful contrast to President Trump, who is 77, and his presumed Democrat opponent, 81-year-old President Biden.
Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy
By starting his candidacy at age 37, the millionaire millennial became the youngest Republican to ever seek the Oval Office.Although he lacks experience, the Harvard and Yale graduate brings energy, intelligence, and courage to the table.
At the first GOP presidential debate on Aug. 23, 2023, in Milwaukee, Mr. Ramaswamy demonstrated that he’s willing to be bold.
Without hesitation, he raised his hand to indicate that he would support President Trump if he were to be criminally convicted yet became the Republican nominee. The other GOP candidates onstage followed Mr. Ramaswamy’s lead, one by one, some rather sheepishly.
Mr. Ramaswamy has denounced the weaponization of the justice system against President Trump. He also has decried numerous states’ attempts to ban President Trump from the ballot based on claims that he incited an “insurrection” during the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol breach. Mr. Ramaswamy vowed to withdraw his own name from any ballot that excludes President Trump; he has challenged his fellow candidates to do the same.
In addition, Mr. Ramaswamy publicly criticized Republican National Committee (RNC) chairwoman Ronna McDaniel as an ineffective leader and called for her resignation.
Mr. Ramaswamy recently completed his second round of “The Full Grassley,” making stops in all 99 of Iowa’s counties, a maneuver that Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) pioneered. Still, he has been lagging in Iowa polls.
Many people, including Mr. Simon, have said that Mr. Ramaswamy has a bright future in politics, possibly as a member of a Trump administration—even if not as vice president.
Besides being a fan favorite in two polls about potential Trump running mates, Mr. Ramaswamy ranks highly among some political betting sites, such as OddsChecker.com.
And, he, like Ms. Haley, was born to parents who emigrated from India, a background that could appeal to ethnic minorities if President Trump were to choose him as a running mate.
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem
Ms. Noem, 52, has risen in prominence during the past several years even though her state has next-to-zero gravitational pull in U.S. politics.One reason she gained attention: She refused to impose lockdowns during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, saying she trusted citizens to make wise choices for themselves.
Ms. Noem served in Congress for six years and understands the D.C. Beltway. She also served on the Armed Services Committee and, in that role, observed President Trump’s leadership first hand.
Talk about her as a possible running mate choice accelerated after the words “Trump Noem 2024” flashed briefly on a video screen at the rally. And now, such speculation is renewed because Ms. Noem is set to campaign for the former president in Iowa during his pre-caucus blitz.
She was elected in 2018 as South Dakota’s first female governor. Last year, she won reelection with “the largest vote total in the history of South Dakota,” her online biography says.
Mr. Jewett put her in the category of “politicians and sort of traditional candidates” but noted, “She'd bring that diversity to the ticket by virtue of being a woman.”
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum
“Doug who?” was the question many people asked after Mr. Burgum declared his presidential candidacy in June 2023. He also hails from a low-profile Great Plains state and struggled to gain attention during his campaign, which he ended in early December.But during that six-month span, Mr. Burgum found a creative way to qualify for two GOP presidential debates—and made a positive impression onstage, drawing glowing remarks from President Trump, who has skipped all of the RNC-sponsored debates.
“I think he’s got something very good about him. He’s a high-quality person, he’s considered a very high-quality man,” President Trump said.
“I know I’ve created more jobs than everybody else on this stage, thousands of high-paying jobs that have real meaning,” the software entrepreneur said.
Afterward, news reporters scrambled to interview him in the “spin room.” But his campaign never gained much momentum beyond that.
Many people doubt that President Trump would gain much from choosing Mr. Burgum as a vice president because he seems to exert little, if any, political influence outside his home state—and he has stated that he wouldn’t accept a vice presidential position.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis
Attendees at President Trump’s appearances in early 2023 often wished aloud for a Trump–DeSantis ticket. Those hopes began to evaporate after Mr. DeSantis declared his candidacy in May 2023.President Trump, who takes credit for catapulting Mr. DeSantis’s initial gubernatorial victory in 2018, branded Mr. DeSantis “disloyal” for opposing him. Their relationship went downhill from there.
Any chance of mending fences between the men appears to have been blown to smithereens during an acrimonious campaign, Mr. Jewett said.
That’s why, among about a dozen would-be running mates, Mr. DeSantis may rank as the least likely, he said, adding: “There’s no way he would do it, and there’s no way Trump would ask. The blood is just too bad.”
On a positive note: The 45-year-old married father of three has promoted conservative legislation and ideology in his home state of Florida, which earned him respect among many of President Trump’s supporters.
Former HUD Secretary Dr. Ben Carson
Dr. Carson, 72, who ran against then-candidate Trump in the 2016 election, served as then-President Trump’s secretary of Housing and Urban Development.A brain surgeon known for his soft-spoken, well-reasoned commentary, Dr. Carson has remained close to the former president.
Insiders confirmed to The Epoch Times that Dr. Carson is among a small group of allies who have been quietly, diligently working to craft policies for a possible second Trump administration.
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders
President Trump’s press secretary for nearly two years, Ms. Sanders, endorsed his 2024 presidential run in October 2023. That was several months after media reports alleged that the two were at odds with each other because she hadn’t yet endorsed his third presidential run—after he endorsed her gubernatorial bid.
Like Ms. Noem, Ms. Sanders became the first female governor of her state. She just began her term of office in January 2023, however, and she lacks the broader political experience that Ms. Noem possesses. Both women come from states that are already viewed as solid for President Trump.
Former DNI John Ratcliffe
Mr. Ratcliffe, 58, served a short stint as director of national intelligence for President Trump. The Texas Republican also served in the U.S. House of Representatives and has been a federal prosecutor.Mr. Ratcliffe is part of the behind-the-scenes policy-formulating group that includes Dr. Carson.
He has criticized some of the Biden administration’s foreign policy decisions on national TV and on social media.
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
Mr. Pompeo, 60, who served first as the CIA director and then U.S. secretary of state, denounced the indictment of the former president on New York business records charges in late March 2023—the first of four indictments against him.He formerly represented Kansas as a congressman.
Mr. Pompeo had mulled a 2024 presidential run but decided against it.
US Rep. Elise Stefanik
The youngest congresswoman to hold office when she was elected in 2014, Ms. Stefanik, now 39, has increasingly gained more national attention and political clout.The former president has hosted political fundraisers for her, and multiple media outlets have stated that the two talk regularly and seem to share a certain affinity. Speculation about a Trump vice presidential berth for her has been persistent as her star continues to rise.
Ms. Stefanik made headlines for decrying “the weaponization” of government agencies, for criticizing Senate Democrats’ probe of the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol breach, and for her work with House Republicans’ impeachment inquiry into President Biden and his family’s alleged financial enrichment.
Despite her recent headline-making actions, Ms. Stefanik’s name is absent from the Newsweek article about its poll, and she barely registered support among the AmericaFest attendees.
US Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene
The 49-year-old Georgia Republican had been largely uninvolved in politics until then-candidate Donald Trump caught her attention in 2016. His candidacy inspired her to start blogging. She became increasingly active in politics and decided to run for Congress in 2019; she won.In January 2021, Ms. Greene endeared herself to MAGA supporters–and made an indelible impression—when she showed up to take her congressional oath of office wearing a black COVID-19 face mask bearing the words “TRUMP WON” in white letters.
From the start, Ms. Greene has been in President Trump’s corner; her loyalty to him seems to be unflappable, a quality he values greatly. But she has been embroiled in a number of controversies and is known for her combative style.
Although many MAGA fans adore Ms. Greene, some pundits say a Trump–Greene ticket might be overpowering because the former president is also known as a “fighter.”
However, while many other potential running mates have either remained silent or have expressed disinterest, Ms. Greene said she would be “honored” to serve as President Trump’s running mate.
She drew only about 1 percent support in the Newsweek poll and less than that in the AmericaFest poll; Ms. Greene also didn’t rate highly on the political betting site.
The Wildcards
Conservative political commentator Tucker Carlson
Mr. Carlson, 54, is a fan favorite for President Trump’s running mate, especially among the AmericaFest audience, where he was the top vote-getter at 35 percent; 5 percent of people in the Newsweek survey picked him.
Mr. Carlson also said he would lead protests if the former president is convicted of any of the charges against him.
Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Mr. Kennedy, 69, is a political newcomer but carries clout because of his family’s storied history in U.S. politics.He is a son of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and nephew of President John F. Kennedy and Sen. Ted Kennedy, all of whom are deceased.
He and President Trump have made positive comments about each other, and some of the former president’s allies have stated that they think Mr. Kennedy would be a good choice. Known as an environmentalist and vaccine-safety advocate and formerly a lifelong Democrat, Mr. Kennedy could attract new voters to President Trump’s camp from those groups.
Choosing him might afford President Trump an extra strategic advantage because it would prevent him from siphoning away votes that he needs to defeat President Biden.
Mr. Jewett, the political science professor, said that if President Trump were able to persuade Mr. Kennedy to become his running mate, it could help show that President Trump is willing to “reach across the aisle” to non-Republicans.
Mr. Kennedy would be a “really outside-the-box choice,” though, and “a lot of Republicans might not embrace that.”
Others in the Mix
Two prior candidates for governor, Kari Lake of Arizona and Tudor Dixon of Michigan, have also been mentioned as possible running mates for President Trump. But neither woman’s campaign was successful, so that’s a mark against them, Mr. Jewett said.In their favor, both come from swing states where President Trump could benefit from added support, especially from women. Of the two, Ms. Lake is far better known. She drew 8 percent support in the Newsweek survey, a fourth-place ranking, and is frequently named on social media and in media outlets’ speculation about running mate picks.
Republican members of Congress considered as possible running mates include Sens. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Reps. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), Wesley Hunt (R-Texas), and Nancy Mace (R-N.C.).
Additional long shots: former Democrat Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez.
Both Mr. Suarez and Mr. Rubio had sought the presidency; they’re also both Hispanic, a trait that could motivate more voters of that ethnicity.
