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Now that President Trump has secured the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, everyone wants to know who he will choose as a running mate.
Reports began circulating this week that Senator Marco Rubio, R-Fla., was one among many on President Trump’s list of potential vice presidential choices. His name seemingly came out of nowhere, but one Florida GOP operative said that it was “pretty clear from Trump’s orbit that Rubio is in play.”
During an interview with Politico, Rubio said, “If anybody has been offered the chance to be vice president, they should consider that an honor and an incredible opportunity to serve our country.”
He made clear that he had not “spoken to anybody on his campaign about it,” adding, “Never once have I talked to [Trump] about vice presidency.”
Sen. Rubio acknowledged that he and President Trump had once been “competitors” when they ran for the GOP presidential nomination in 2016, but said that since then, “especially when he was president, we worked really well together.”
President Trump and Sen. Rubio both reside in Florida, which means that one of them would have to move to comply with the Constitution. Article II, Section I, Clause 3, says, “The Electors shall meet in their respective States, and vote by Ballot for two Persons, of whom one at least shall not be an Inhabitant of the same State with themselves.”
While Trump has said on many occasions that his VP pick would not help his chances of being elected, he conceded that “it could hurt if you pick somebody that was a disaster.”
If Senator Rubio is chosen and he accepts, he would need to resign from his seat in the Senate, which would allow Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to appoint his replacement.
NBC News described Rubio as “young and telegenic,” noting that “he has spent more time in federal office than Vice President Kamala Harris.”
The outlet also said that “Rubio, the Miami-born son of working-class Cuban immigrants, looks good on paper and on television – a powerful combination for Trump.”
President Trump’s team plans to get input from supporters while on the campaign trail but will also assess the fundraising skills of the individuals on his potential VP list. NBC pointed out that Rubio is certainly capable, as he raked in close to $50 million during his 2016 bid for the White House.