Photo: Alamy
President Trump’s potential vice presidential pick has been the subject of intense speculation since he announced his 2024 reelection campaign in late 2022, and it’s safe to say that nobody has yet figured out who his running mate will be.
However, there have been a lot of theories surrounding his future VP, and a new report from Bloomberg has suggested that the president is less than impressed with the names being floated in the media and plans to choose someone who can bring a strategic advantage to his campaign.
Their report stated that former GOP presidential candidate and political firebrand Vivek Ramaswamy is not in the running to be vice president, although the Indian-American businessman may be appointed to an important position in a 2025 administration.
Per Bloomberg’s report:
“Loyalty, ideological compatibility and perceived electoral power are the metrics by which Trump is evaluating possible picks, according to people familiar with the process who spoke on the condition of anonymity.”
Names that have arisen over the past few months include Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., retired neurosurgeon and former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Dr. Ben Carson, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R), and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R).
The president also confirmed during a Fox News townhall event hosted by Laura Ingraham in February that Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott (R) were also on his shortlist, as reported by RSBN.
The Bloomberg report further claimed that Trump is considering former California Representative and Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R) as a potential chief of staff due to his expertise in moving through the tangled web of politics at Capitol Hill.
In light of the slim GOP majority in the House of Representatives, it is unlikely that Trump will choose to remove a conservative fighter like Rep. Elise Stefanik. From that perspective, it seems more likely that Trump may choose a governor, a former Trump administration official, or an otherwise non-congressional ally to serve as his potential running mate.
In Bloomberg’s report, they pointed to comments from Trump’s senior advisor, Jason Miller, who summarily criticized the president’s potential cabinet picks or VP considerations. “The truth is that unless you hear it directly from President Trump or his campaign, this is all b.s.” he said.
President Trump will likely announce his vice-presidential running mate pick after the Republican National Convention in July, where he will formally accept the nomination.