Former President Donald Trump’s potential running mate will be someone who is “ideologically aligned” with him, has “charisma,” and is “loyal,” insiders say.
According to Trump sources who spoke with The Daily Caller, although no candidates have declared their intention to be Trump’s VP publicly, the former president has suggested that numerous individuals are “auditioning” behind the scenes. According to Trump insiders, there have been no official talks to shorten the list, but a set of traits are likely to be evaluated.
“We do know one thing about Trump, is that he puts a lot of weight on how well you present yourself. That really matters to him, so I suspect that will matter for his VP choice,” a Republican consultant close to the Trump campaign told the news outlet, adding that the person would be need to be “TV ready.”
“Loyalty. That’s the necessary characteristic of anyone who wants to be VP. President Trump and the movement was dragged down by disloyalty in the White House,” a source close to Trump added.
Trump has not disclosed any potential candidates for his VP, and has even mentioned that he would not rule out his primary opponent, Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. However, several individuals are believed to be vying for the VP position, including Republican representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene from Georgia and Elise Stefanik from New York, former presidential candidate Nikki Haley, Republican governors Sarah Huckabee Sanders of Arkansas and Kristi Noem of South Dakota, as well as 2022 Arizona GOP gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake.
Though DeSantis’ name may be mentioned from time to time, sources claim that Trump is mostly interested in a female serving as his VP.
“I think he would very much be open to a female… it depends. I don’t believe in diversity for the sake of diversity when it comes to elections and political figures, but I think there are people out there that are female that would be good fits for him,” the GOP consultant said, according to the news outlet.
Given the present significance of abortion for voters, a female candidate would “be an advantage to have on the ticket,” a source added. However, the official noted that there is still a considerable amount of time left before the election, and the leading concerns of voters could shift.
“It’s always seemed to me that it will be a woman. Whenever I’ve talked to people who worked in Trump world, it’s always assumed to be someone like Elise Stefanik or some other woman candidate,” the official said.
Stefanik demonstrated her loyalty to the former president by endorsing him before he announced his 2024 presidential bid, thereby becoming the first GOP leadership member to do so. Additionally, she has consistently supported Trump during the impeachment proceedings and in his legal battle against Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
“What I will say that’s bullshit that’s always floating around is Kari Lake. Kari Lake will not be his VP pick. She’s running for Senate instead. I don’t think MTG will be his pick either,” the official said.
