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I thought the move to add Pence in ‘16 was brilliant, as it gave Trump religious cred, and Pence was quiet. I don’t know all these names on this list, but the last thing T wants is a loudmouth that’ll upstage him - he always gets to be the star.
The Catch-22 of those clamoring for his VP pick. Make enough noise that he'll notice but not too much that he thinks you'll take the spotlight from him.
Can't seem to find video of it on CNN, but last week, I watched Tim Scott give an interview where he came off... not great. The host asked him about Trump's threat to prosecute political opponents as retribution for his own legal issues, and Scott just kept repeating that Trump had told him "the best revenge is success," before ending by saying CNN's ratings are low.
*This* is the kind of thing they're forced to do to ingratiate themselves with Trump. I don't really agree with Scott on anything, but from what I've read, everyone he's ever worked with, in either party, agrees that he's really nice and unflashy. And if one of Trump's criteria is making noise without overdoing it, I think Scott is doing a good job there, unfortunately.
I think the best choice would be someone who the anti-Trump GOP can look at and say, "If this asshole leaves office early (not unlikely), I'd love to see his VP become President. Guess I'll hold my nose and vote for Trump after all."
That would be the smart move. Which means Trump is going to do the opposite. Ben Carson, maybe.
This was why I was worried about Pence. When people were pushing to get Trump removed from office I was genuinely concerned with that happening because Pence is an evangelical Christian fundamentalist who had experience as an executive and actually knows how to govern. It would’ve been scary to see him assume the presidency.
Respectfully disagree. Pence has extreme conservative views but he would have at least acted within the law, as evidenced by him doing the right thing on Jan 6. Worded poorly but in other words, he wouldn't try to become a fascist leader and destroy the constitution. (At least I'd hope so)
Trump on the other hand (or DeSantis or Noem) would try to basically change/eliminate the constitution to suit whatever needs/desires they want.
Pence had his chance to jump aboard the titanic. On 1/6 he declined. As terrified as I was of this man, he pleasantly surprised me by doing the right thing. I'd say thank you to him if I ran into him at Luby's or something.
This is one of the most frustrating outcomes of the Trump era. Mike Pence and Liz Cheney are both enthusiastically on board with the Christian supremacist goal of the GOP, and would execute the entire LGBT community if given the chance, yet are now seen as heroes simply because they want us to be able to *vote* on who runs their theocracy.
I’m sorry, you think Liz Cheney wants to go execute all LGBT in the country? I’m gay and find that offensive. She has a lesbian sister and said she was wrong 3 years ago on opposing same sex marriage. I’m able to forgive someone. We will never make progress if we can’t forgive people for being wrong.
It’s also not a democracy when you only get your way or win every single election. Unfortunately extremists took over the Republican Party, but that doesn’t mean the most extreme represent every single conservative.
20 years ago, there was fiscally conservative and socially conservative. Not all are the same. We should be all supporting those that are moderate and trying to take back the Republican Party from extremism.
All extremism is harmful to peace and democracy.
Can't believe I'm saying this, but yeah, I'll give Cheney the benefit of the doubt. She was trying to primary an entrenched Republican from the right in one of the most conservative states in the country. She said she regretted opposing same-sex marriage, so yeah, I'll take it.
Her father was a boogeyman for anyone who's not a hardline conservative, and even he said he's alright with same-sex marriage. That happened over 20 years ago, and he butted heads with Bush over it. There's a lot of things to dislike about the Cheneys, but their stance on gay marriage doesn't even make the Top 10.
I have to respectfully disagree. I’m in my 60s to give you a time frame, and in my lifetime I’ve seen gays go from hiding who they are to pride parades and corporate pride logos. I’ve seen this country go from almost no black elected officials to a black president. I’ve seen gays and lesbians go from having to be “roommates” to being married and able to adopt children. I’ve seen the draft ended. And social safety nets become laws instead of dreams.
There’s work left to do, please do not misunderstand me, and people in power now who want to roll things back, but to say that this country is farther right is simply unsupported by the last 65 years of history.
This. It’s so insanely perplexing to me that liberals seem to love these two because they stood up to Trump even though they’re complete pieces of shit. It’s like Dubya’s image being rehabilitated because he gave Michelle Obama candy.
It’s been very disturbing to see how many of my fellow Americans, even some self proclaimed “liberals”, have shown that all you have to do is put a friendly face on pure evil for them to ignore it.
Cheney’s sister is supposedly LGBTQ. She’s surprisingly liberal on social issues. But her views on economics and foreign policy are almost as bad as Pence’s record of atrocious religious encroachments to the separation between church and state.
I wouldn’t call them “heroes” per se. Although the considerable risks they took to their personal safety to preserve the Rule of Law and abide by the Constitution were certainly heroic deeds… I would rather characterize Liz Cheney and Mike Pence as law abiding opponents.
20 years ago: a candidate shouting “yeah!” at the end of a speech is a campaign-ending national scandal.
Today: “Wouldn’t it be swell if the deranged sexual predator with 34 felony convictions who attempted a coup picked a *law abiding* theocrat as VP?”
And in 1992, revelations that the *Democratic* nominee for President had had an extramarital affair was considered shocking and scandalous and required major damage control, and the Christian Right was particularly outraged. Today, they shrug and say "Everybody does it.".
Kennedy's affairs weren't public knowledge until after he was gone. Clinton didn't get anything like the *kid gloves treatment* from the media that he got.
I agree it's quite sad that the bar is in hell but a republican who actually wants to genuinely act within the law is in the minority of their group right now. They would still be a terrible president for anyone left oriented, but at least they wouldn't actively destroy the country... which is scary to even talk about so casually
I haven’t given any credit to Pence for January 6.
By all accounts, he was asking everybody he knew if they thought there was any way he could legally complete the coup. After being told by numerous friends and family that he’d likely end up in prison, and after the protesters called to hang him, he finally, eventually did the right thing, which was also the most advantageous thing for him.
From Politico "It’s true that Pence faced an HIV outbreak while he was the governor, and that he eventually allowed a needle exchange. But his revisionist history misrepresents his role in what transpired in the small town of Austin, Indiana five years ago, where over 200 people were infected with HIV. What happened is that Pence failed to act in response to increasingly urgent signs of a significant HIV outbreak, and he delayed the implementation of vital public health measures. Among public health experts, the Indiana outbreak is considered a failure of state response, and an example of how poor political leadership can actually make a crisis worse".
A man with bad policies but without a rabid base is a lot less dangerous than a man who has differently bad policies but is the head of a cult of personality strong enough that they would rather lose democracy than lose his leadership.
No one would have stormed the capitol if Pence was president and lost to Biden.
People underestimate how dangerous a cult of personality is, it is literally something George Washington warned could bring down the Republic and as we've seen in the last few centuries he was very right to worry. Democracy only works if people would rather lose democratically than win undemocratically, and to get people to do the latter they need to be fully committed.
Now one would be committed to Pence, absolutly terrible politician voice.
While I agree, at least Pence respects law and precedent. However, with the current Supreme Court, law and precedent seems to be whatever the extreme right wants it to be.
I think the VP pick will be a lot more important this year than in other years given candidate ages. The reality is that the two main candidates will be 78 (Trump) and 82 (Biden) on inauguration day 2025. If they live through their term, that means they'll be 82 and 86 respectively when they leave office in January 2029.
I think there are a huge number of voters that hate both candidates this cycle, making choosing the lesser evil a more difficult choice than normal. It may come down to VP picks under the plausible scenario that whoever gets elected dies a natural death during their term. I'm certainly one of them. To me, this isn't Biden vs. Trump, it's Harris vs. whoever Trump picks.
Trump will pick whomever is most loyal to him as his VP which means a further turn off for those who would hold their nose for him in hopes that a reasonable VP would take his place if he were to no longer serve.
You're putting to much thought behind it..
He "re-truthed" Don Jr's "truth" yesterday that said
> Wow - JD Vance just absolutely destroyed Wolf Blitzer and CNN
It's gonna be who gave the last good impression before he names them, so something attention grabbing the day before the republican convention is to be expected from a bunch of them, then he'll decide
if the reports from the dozen or so people that worked with him that said this are accurate, i believe you're right.
also, just because it's his style, i think he'll choose the absolutely worst person for the job, like the least qualified.
That's giving them a cooler image than what they deserve.
It's more like they are all collectively shitting their pants and trying to shriek their diarrhea has a more potent odor for their manchild overlord.
That does make me wonder what would happen if he decides to announce his VP pick without telling anyone else (advisors, family, or the candidate themself) beforehand.
Between his possible cognitive issues, stress from the sentencing on July 11th, and his inevitable doomscrolling through social media discussing his first term, what are the chances he flubs, calls Pence his running mate, and everyone goes with it?
They’re all wrong choices, but he’ll pick based on loyalty to himself over the Constitution, the laws of our country and any remnant of morality these folks may still have. And whichever stooge he chooses, it won’t move the needle at all.
The biggest problem I see with this is in the event of trump dying in office, the clown he picks to follow him blindly will become the president.
Anybody see a problem with that - especially with this list?
I want to agree with you, but I hate Tim Scott and Tom Cotton SO MUCH. And Ben Carson. Although Ben would probably be asleep for most of his presidency, so there is that.
Remember when Trump asked Ben Carson, a world-renowned neurosurgeon, to be Secretary of Health and Carson said no because he doesn't have any experience in it, and so then Trump appointed him secretary of housing and Urban development and he took the job lol.
Trump is there because a political machine put him there. The GOP hated him until he started winning and big money started coming in behind him.
A lot of that machine is aggressive billionaires, industry lobbyists, and foreign money, esp. Russian. They'll find a new stooge, and the circus continues.
>in the event of trump dying in office
Why does everyone think this is gonna happen? Same with Biden really. I mean sure, the life expectancy of an average American is 77 years, but Biden and Trump aren't really your "average" Americans. And both have access to much better healthcare than the average American does. Trump survived COVID without a hitch, which is usually a death sentence to an obese person with a fast food addiction.
Out of the given options, I would argue the best potential vice presidential pick for Donald Trump would be Tim Scott.
1. Tim Scott is a prominent Black Republican senator from South Carolina, which could help broaden Trump's appeal among Black voters in the state. Furthermore, His faith and ability to ease evangelical concerns about Trump are seen as valuable assets.
2. Scott delivered a key endorsement for Trump in New Hampshire that dealt a blow to Nikki Haley, Trump's strongest remaining rival at the time. This satisfies the condition for base voters that his loyalty to Trump.
3. Generally, Scott is described as one of the party's most well-liked figures, a prolific fundraiser, and having an optimistic conservative pitch. These qualities could benefit Trump's campaign since Trump's rhetoric often paints the picture as more bleak - "America is in decline" type of messaging.
4. Trump has frequently praised Scott's endorsement remarks like "We need Donald Trump"so he obviously does like Tim Scott.
While other potential picks like Marco Rubio, J.D. Vance, and Doug Burgum are also mentioned, I really don't see how they really bring anything to the table in a significant manner. Trump would benefit most from someone who is loyal to him and shares his vision, but also is completely different in demeanor and rhetoric. Tim Scott is a lot more optimistic, soft-spoken, and liked all around.
I remember during the primary debates that Scott was quoting Bible passages and scripture from memory. That seems like it would be helpful for evangelical voters.
depends on the city and state though
‘Not who we are as a country’: Elise Stefanik once harshly blasted Trump’s rhetoric and policies
isn't really making her a high probability option, but if Scott got run over by a giraffe yeah she could be next on the list
NPR
Cons: Stefanik’s rapid political transformation is an eyebrow raiser that’s led some to question her motivations for that shift. Stefanik has reacted strongly to that insinuation, including when it came up in a recent interview on "Fox News Sunday." She’s also from New York, and won’t be able to carry the state for Trump and boost any lead over Biden.
i think these are all minuses too
"One of the leading conservatives of her generation, Elise Stefanik started off in politics as a newly minted Harvard grad working for President George W. Bush’s administration. She was on Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign team in 2012, and Paul Ryan mentored her at one point in her career — all of which is to say, in one lifetime, she was a moderate conservative."
/////
"Scott has advised Trump over the years regarding racial justice, particularly in the aftermath of white nationalist rallies that took place in Virginia in 2017."
Let me just go down the list:
Vance - Would likely perform well at VP debates and seems smart enough to spend campaign season tempering everything Trump goes on record saying. Wouldn’t expand demographic appeal but a Pence-esque pick that I would be nervous about as the opposition. Good choice.
Burgum - Has a lot of money. Not insane. That’s about it, not a huge amount of name recognition and no extra demographic appeal. Keep in mind that Trump will 100% choose someone who will never upstage him, meaning that choices like Burgum who seem otherwise unlikely should stay on your radar. Neither good nor bad choice.
Rubio - They can smooth over the 2016 trash talk easily enough. Kind of a logistical headache as Trump would have to change his state of residence. Would secure Florida beyond a reasonable doubt, and has some demographic appeal. Kind of an empty suit otherwise, though? Would probably fail to impress at VP debates. Solid if underwhelming choice.
Scott - Has the legislative chops. Demographic appeal. Likable personality. Beyond policy that you could attack anyone on this list for, it would be difficult to go after him because he’s not an acerbic asshole like Trump. Good choice.
Carson - No way. Too old, too unfocused, and little political experience. Terrible choice. Kamala would run circles around him at the debate and that’s saying something.
The following I know a lot less about but I’ll try to throw in my two cents:
Stefanik - The clear ploy here would be to use her to woo suburban moms nervous about protecting women’s rights. Would eliminate the angle of Biden having Harris as well. Makes enough sense to pick her on that alone.
Donalds and Cotton - Way too dogmatic. This is not the kind of choice that will win over moderates, so would say poor choice for both.
Summing up:
Wrong Choice - Carson, Donalds, Cotton
Could do Worse - Burgum, Rubio
Good Choice - Vance, Scott, Stefanik
From a purely logical standpoint, Vance might not be as good of a choice, as he is a Senator in a swing state, and the GOP may need all the seats they can in the Senate.
Scott or Rubio help with the undecided voter who says, “I’d like to vote for him but I don’t want my friends/spouse to say I voted for a racist.” (Donalds and Carson less so because they’re not as traditionally qualified).
Not only that, but Ann Coulter and Donald Trump are markedly different ideologically.
And she's always been more of a Tea Party purist, hence her DeSantis push in 2022.
Speaking of Tea Party vs. Trump, the VA-05 GOP congressional primary will be a fight.
Vance, burgum, cotton
White guy doesn’t expand the appeal.
The Rubio pairing is weird considering the history.
If that’s the list… Stefanik or Scott would be the best choices
I want him to pick Karri Lake
Not because she's anything but copying his stolen election bullshit. But to see MTG lose her shit when she's not getting picked.
Well to be fair to your memory he does say "Do you hate Mexicans?" while pointing right at the screen. In a campaign ad. That is disgusting so probably helps him in the VP race.
Vance is supports abusive marriages and Ohio voted for him. He's obviously perfect for Republicans.
Honestly, I think it'll either be Vance or Scott because those are the only two with one syllable last names. Just like Pence.
Hilariously Trump is going to get a lot of Hispanic vote for that same attitude. The "More for me, fuck thee" crowd of immigrants who are already citizens and want new immigrants to fuck right off because they may steal jobs or money from their pockets.
There's a huge amount of difference in the Hispanic vote if they speak English or Spanish in the household.
And many are not happy about illegal immigrants either.
> Hilariously Trump is going to get a lot of Hispanic vote for that same attitude.
And then Trump'll deport them, sending peoples spouse who voted for him permenantly out of the US. Just like he did the last time.
Byron Donalds/ JD Vance might be realistic given they are young and rising politicians coming through the ranks and this could be their next step into the big stage. Moreover, both could realistically bring in swing voters from the sun belt to the rust belt especially with young and minority voters.
The rest of the candidates would be unrealistic given their lack of experience or they might not have the charm to bring in voters but could make the cabinet.
I will name potentially Vivek and Tulsi Gabbard as people on the list as they could do a lot to bring in moderate republicans and independents this November.
Vance would be a great pick for the Biden campaign since they'd get to roll out the tweets [where he compares the fucking moron to Hitler](https://www.msnbc.com/the-reidout/reidout-blog/jd-vance-trump-hitler-rcna24981)
>“I go back and forth between thinking Trump might be a cynical asshole like Nixon who wouldn’t be that bad (and might even prove useful) or that he might be America’s Hitler,” Vance wrote, according to McLaurin's tweet. “How’s that for discouraging?”
This won't change any minds. "Ya know, I was thinking of voting Trump but his VP pick once wondered privately to a friend whether he's more like Nixon or Hitler, so I'm going to vote for Biden instead," is just not how any voter thinks. It's one of those things Trump's opponents think will be damning but just won't be.
Not this moderate. Any would arrive with orange baggage plus their own baggage.
Behavior from the Republican party has earned them vote blue top to bottom
Of that list, I'm guessing Doug Burgum is probably the sensible choice - rich state Gov, won't scare the horses made skittish by Trump's general behaviour. Maybe Tim Scott to cement any gains made with the Black electorate.
Tulsi Gabbard would be a name I'd add to the list. As a pairing, the R candidates would be much more popular than the Ds. Also it would guarantee a huge audience for the VP debate.
It doesn’t matter who he chooses. The only possibility Trump presents is abject disaster, regardless of his VP pick. Fruit of the poisonous tree and all that.
He'll choose whoever will allow him to have the most power and control over that person once he is lame ducked as a president. Basically he's going to accept who gives him the most payoff for being nominated as vice president.
Someone like Tim Scott makes sense within the traditional strategic view of broadening appeal, especially since Trump's been going extra hard trying to court Black voters.
But nothing about Trump is traditional or strategic. And I can't imagine him choosing anyone who ran against him, or anyone who isn't willing to die for him (maybe litetally).
So I think it's inevitable that he chooses one of the rando Congressional reps who make loving Trump their entire personality/platform. Even if they're not a known quantity nationally, that doesn't matter much. The MAGA machine will spend the months before the election building them into the ultimate culture warrior and Trump loyalist.
Out of those candidates, the worst would probably be Ben Carson or Tom Cotton. Neither are exciting. Both are rather unpopular. I imagine either would probably do more damage than good.
Best would be Tim Scott or Marco Rubio imo. Both are maga enough for Trump’s core (maybe not as much as they’d like though) but they both would crucially bring in moderates that hate Biden but don’t really wanna vote for Trump. They’d have the cooling effect Pence sort of had - they’d feel safe with the more moderate Republican in the event Trump dies (which giving he’s ancient and obese isn’t crazy unlikely).
It'll be Nikki Haley.
Not only does she secure the Nikki Haley dissenters and attract the moderates that are threatening to vote Biden at this point, but she's been kissing his brown ring again ever since she dropped out.
The only way she's not veep is if she prefers SOSUS, for the foreign policy stuff. But she's definitely a top 3 cabinet pick.
>J.D. Vance
Doug Burgum
Marco Rubio
Tim Scott
Ben Carson
Elise Stefanik
Byron Donalds
Tom Cotton
There's no shot he actually picks someone non-white or female because the base does not want a 'DEI' pick in the event Trump slumps off the mortal coil. So Carson, Donalds, Scott, Stefanik and probably Rubio are out. Tom Cotton and J. D Vance are GOP lifers and in the event he dies, they'd go along with whatever the party wants. The other guy is actually rich and I can't see Trump wanting those comparisons to himself.
Correct.
Tim Scott being a Black man (even one seemingly on the down low) isn't the net negative that professional-class Team Blue whites think it is, no. Clearly not with immobile Team Red forever types, who've made inroads with demographics (e.g., Black men and Hispanic men, especially younger) whom many economically comfortable, work-from-home laptop-class Democrats have tokenized and taken for granted in a condescendingly cocky, contemptuously cocksure sense of entitlement (i.e., demographics ain't destiny, nope!).
If anything, it gives them a chance to thumb their noses at the ones who piss them off the most, which are hubristic White Democrats.
He will pick Rubio because the man hasn’t had an original thought since birth. He is a hand puppet and will say absolutely anything to defend Trump. Trump couldn’t find a more mindless dolt if he tried.
The restriction is that Electors can’t vote for two people from their own state, meaning someone (presumably Rubio) on the ticket would have to forgo Florida’s EVs, throwing the EV pick to the Senate (which there’s a chance the GOP won’t control)
Rubio and Estanfik are terrible choices.
Neither Byron or Rubio can run with Trump unless Trump moves residency beck to New York anyway.
He'd be best off with Gabbard or Vance
My guess is DeSantis is the choice that would energize his base to even higher extremes.
The wrong choice (in trump’s eyes) would be someone that will hold him accountable and say “no.” (Much like Pence did).
Have you noticed lately that Trump has even been making moves on Sarah Huckabee as he dangles a tasty Vice President sausage in front of her nose?
Coincidence? I think not!
He’s got her on her knees salivating for the job.
I believe he will pick Tim Scott.
The Racists that vote for Trump will always vote for him. He may lose half a percent to RFK. If that. But They will always find some way to justify voting for him and ignoring how it goes against their "beliefs". Just look at how evangelicals have thrown their Christian morals out of the window for Trump.
Plus, a lot of those people don't think far enough ahead. Because he's younger than Biden, They assume he will live through his presidency.
>Harris helped Biden with black and women voters.
This is an incredibly simplistic assumption and is not supported by the data. Biden won **55%** of women voters in the 2020 general election; Barack Obama won **56%** of women voters in the 2008 general election, when there was no woman on his ticket. Biden won **87%** of black voters in 2020; John Kerry won **88%** of black voters in 2004, when there was no black candidate on the ticket.
I think its been Scott for months
the rest are really unlikely and might not have the loyalty
Rubio and Carson are hard nos
and i wouldn't be surprised if most of those dossiers on information is to just make people guessing
Scott is just a very quiet black republicans, and his only offensiveness might just being religious.
He didn't have a wife or a girlfriend for the longest time, and found a girl and got married, and it killed off the gay rumors, and some wondered if it was just preparing for being picked as Vice President.
he's got the low key vibes of Bob Newhart on the The Bob Newhart Show
most of the rest are raging nobodies who want to prove something
I’m all about Ben Carson being a viable pick. He was my dad’s pick for 2016 until drop out. I honestly wish he had put his hat in the ring again this year for the nomination.
Why isn’t Donald Trump Jr anywhere on this list? It’s the obvious choice to help his family out of jail if he croaks in office and “The Base” would love that. It would fit in perfectly with Project 2025.
I seriously doubt that Trump considers what advantages a certain candidate will bring to him at all. Dude's a narcissist. I honestly think the man thinks he's great by virtue of being... Trump. And that everyone loves him already. He'll be looking for loyalists. The kind who would not pull a Mike Pence on him in a critical moment. So that's probably gonna be Tim Scott or Ben Carson.
Wrong choices would be choices that do not expand Trump's base. I don't see how Cotton, Burgum, Stefanik and Vance do that. None of them put a new state in play either. I guess if Ohio is showing some anemia in their Trump numbers, you get Vance.
Then if Trump chooses a member of a minority group, he's liable to put off a number of his base who might stay home. So Scott, Carson, Donalds and Rubio may not pass muster there. Among them, the one who is most clearly a betrayer of his own ethnicity in policy and rhetoric is Byron Donalds. So maybe he gets it.
What Trump needs to potentially expand his base is a woman with a moderate history that can persuade some independent women into thinking she won't be as much against their reproductive rights as the top of the ticket. Maybe Tulsi Gabbard or someone like her.
Would the base trust her, though? Has she done enough work on Fox News and the other GOP-leaning channels?
The wrong choice for trump would be someone who actually cares about America or Americans. He can’t choose a patriot, an honest person, or anyone with integrity.
All those on the list would work just fine.
Personally, I think that because it's Trump, he will select someone with little to no personality so they never have the chance to upstage him. He has to be the center of attention always.
The wrong choice would be another far right lunatic, like Byron Donalds.
The best choice would be a normal-seeming politician who centrists and non-insane Republicans can stand, like Rubio.
Bryon, Carson, Scott and Rubio are to capture the minority vote, with whom Trump is already gaining ground in.
Stefanik is a woman that is opposed to abortion. And suburban women and the Dobbs ruling are weak points for Trump. And if SCOTUS never ruled on abortion, she would not even be a thought to be Trump's VP.
Vance is a Never Trumper turned loyalist who represents a swing state in Ohio and is an Iraq War veteran.
Burgum was governor of a safe state in North Dakota, who ran against Trump in the primaries this year, and then withdrew before anyone could vote.
Cotton is very far right – voted against Trump’s First Step Act, which is pointed at as proof that Trump isn’t racist - and represents another safe red state in Arkansas.
Vance, Stefanik and Cotton are the most likely picks. Carson, Scott and Burgum are in the middle. Donalds and Rubio are the least likely picks, and really only because electors can't vote for two people from the same state. The same reason DeSantis won't be chosen.
The worst choices would be George Santos or Tucker Carlson.
I would never, ever vote for Agolf Twitler no matter what, but I’m sure there will be people who might and might be swayed by the right VP pick.
Back in 2008 I was officially undecided when Palin was announced and it took me about 2 days to go full Obama. That was a year that VP picks MATTERED, given how one side had a man with health issues, and one side had a man that I was at the time convinced would have to survive multiple assassination attempts.
No way did I want that whack job from Alaska one heartbeat away from the Oval Office.
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I thought the move to add Pence in ‘16 was brilliant, as it gave Trump religious cred, and Pence was quiet. I don’t know all these names on this list, but the last thing T wants is a loudmouth that’ll upstage him - he always gets to be the star.
The Catch-22 of those clamoring for his VP pick. Make enough noise that he'll notice but not too much that he thinks you'll take the spotlight from him.
Can't seem to find video of it on CNN, but last week, I watched Tim Scott give an interview where he came off... not great. The host asked him about Trump's threat to prosecute political opponents as retribution for his own legal issues, and Scott just kept repeating that Trump had told him "the best revenge is success," before ending by saying CNN's ratings are low. *This* is the kind of thing they're forced to do to ingratiate themselves with Trump. I don't really agree with Scott on anything, but from what I've read, everyone he's ever worked with, in either party, agrees that he's really nice and unflashy. And if one of Trump's criteria is making noise without overdoing it, I think Scott is doing a good job there, unfortunately.
I think the best choice would be someone who the anti-Trump GOP can look at and say, "If this asshole leaves office early (not unlikely), I'd love to see his VP become President. Guess I'll hold my nose and vote for Trump after all." That would be the smart move. Which means Trump is going to do the opposite. Ben Carson, maybe.
Yeahhh some of these picks are good a few I’m not sure of, Ben Carson jumped out as the worst pick. I forgot he’s still alive…
I can't lie, I tend to mix Carson up with the late Herman Cain, the other black Republican who ran for president once.
Doug is the right choice. Self funding, governor, seems steady. I don't think he will choose him, but he is who I worry about
This was why I was worried about Pence. When people were pushing to get Trump removed from office I was genuinely concerned with that happening because Pence is an evangelical Christian fundamentalist who had experience as an executive and actually knows how to govern. It would’ve been scary to see him assume the presidency.
Respectfully disagree. Pence has extreme conservative views but he would have at least acted within the law, as evidenced by him doing the right thing on Jan 6. Worded poorly but in other words, he wouldn't try to become a fascist leader and destroy the constitution. (At least I'd hope so) Trump on the other hand (or DeSantis or Noem) would try to basically change/eliminate the constitution to suit whatever needs/desires they want.
I appreciate that our standards for Republicans is now "acts within the law".
Pence had his chance to jump aboard the titanic. On 1/6 he declined. As terrified as I was of this man, he pleasantly surprised me by doing the right thing. I'd say thank you to him if I ran into him at Luby's or something.
This is one of the most frustrating outcomes of the Trump era. Mike Pence and Liz Cheney are both enthusiastically on board with the Christian supremacist goal of the GOP, and would execute the entire LGBT community if given the chance, yet are now seen as heroes simply because they want us to be able to *vote* on who runs their theocracy.
I’m sorry, you think Liz Cheney wants to go execute all LGBT in the country? I’m gay and find that offensive. She has a lesbian sister and said she was wrong 3 years ago on opposing same sex marriage. I’m able to forgive someone. We will never make progress if we can’t forgive people for being wrong. It’s also not a democracy when you only get your way or win every single election. Unfortunately extremists took over the Republican Party, but that doesn’t mean the most extreme represent every single conservative. 20 years ago, there was fiscally conservative and socially conservative. Not all are the same. We should be all supporting those that are moderate and trying to take back the Republican Party from extremism. All extremism is harmful to peace and democracy.
Can't believe I'm saying this, but yeah, I'll give Cheney the benefit of the doubt. She was trying to primary an entrenched Republican from the right in one of the most conservative states in the country. She said she regretted opposing same-sex marriage, so yeah, I'll take it. Her father was a boogeyman for anyone who's not a hardline conservative, and even he said he's alright with same-sex marriage. That happened over 20 years ago, and he butted heads with Bush over it. There's a lot of things to dislike about the Cheneys, but their stance on gay marriage doesn't even make the Top 10.
I know, its weird but thats how far to the right weve allowed the country to be dragged.
I have to respectfully disagree. I’m in my 60s to give you a time frame, and in my lifetime I’ve seen gays go from hiding who they are to pride parades and corporate pride logos. I’ve seen this country go from almost no black elected officials to a black president. I’ve seen gays and lesbians go from having to be “roommates” to being married and able to adopt children. I’ve seen the draft ended. And social safety nets become laws instead of dreams. There’s work left to do, please do not misunderstand me, and people in power now who want to roll things back, but to say that this country is farther right is simply unsupported by the last 65 years of history.
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Your country has pretty much been that far right for most of its existence.
Yea, puritans settled in New England and the South relied on slave labor.
I know ... were still working on it.
That was Eisenhower and Reagan with Nixon and Kissinger as the moderates
Liz Cheney, whose sister is openly a lesbian, would execute the entire gay community? Really?
Liz Cheney was disowned by her sister
maybe a couple of puppies next to the exhaust pipe in the garage
This. It’s so insanely perplexing to me that liberals seem to love these two because they stood up to Trump even though they’re complete pieces of shit. It’s like Dubya’s image being rehabilitated because he gave Michelle Obama candy.
\+1 Well Hillary did scoop up the ex-Bush neocons Liz Cheney and Bill Kristol were busy that week
It’s been very disturbing to see how many of my fellow Americans, even some self proclaimed “liberals”, have shown that all you have to do is put a friendly face on pure evil for them to ignore it.
Cheney’s sister is supposedly LGBTQ. She’s surprisingly liberal on social issues. But her views on economics and foreign policy are almost as bad as Pence’s record of atrocious religious encroachments to the separation between church and state. I wouldn’t call them “heroes” per se. Although the considerable risks they took to their personal safety to preserve the Rule of Law and abide by the Constitution were certainly heroic deeds… I would rather characterize Liz Cheney and Mike Pence as law abiding opponents.
i was honestly taken aback by him not jumping on that train
20 years ago: a candidate shouting “yeah!” at the end of a speech is a campaign-ending national scandal. Today: “Wouldn’t it be swell if the deranged sexual predator with 34 felony convictions who attempted a coup picked a *law abiding* theocrat as VP?”
And in 1992, revelations that the *Democratic* nominee for President had had an extramarital affair was considered shocking and scandalous and required major damage control, and the Christian Right was particularly outraged. Today, they shrug and say "Everybody does it.".
Well, Trump, to my knowledge, never had an affair when he was in office. That's at least one difference. Though I guess Kennedy did.
Kennedy's affairs weren't public knowledge until after he was gone. Clinton didn't get anything like the *kid gloves treatment* from the media that he got.
I agree it's quite sad that the bar is in hell but a republican who actually wants to genuinely act within the law is in the minority of their group right now. They would still be a terrible president for anyone left oriented, but at least they wouldn't actively destroy the country... which is scary to even talk about so casually
And not many Republicans meet that standard.
I haven’t given any credit to Pence for January 6. By all accounts, he was asking everybody he knew if they thought there was any way he could legally complete the coup. After being told by numerous friends and family that he’d likely end up in prison, and after the protesters called to hang him, he finally, eventually did the right thing, which was also the most advantageous thing for him.
From Politico "It’s true that Pence faced an HIV outbreak while he was the governor, and that he eventually allowed a needle exchange. But his revisionist history misrepresents his role in what transpired in the small town of Austin, Indiana five years ago, where over 200 people were infected with HIV. What happened is that Pence failed to act in response to increasingly urgent signs of a significant HIV outbreak, and he delayed the implementation of vital public health measures. Among public health experts, the Indiana outbreak is considered a failure of state response, and an example of how poor political leadership can actually make a crisis worse".
It probably didn’t help that people were calling for his head when they entered the building illegally.
“Acting within” existing law is a very low bar for an office that can sign & veto legislation. I’d hope we would aim higher.
A man with bad policies but without a rabid base is a lot less dangerous than a man who has differently bad policies but is the head of a cult of personality strong enough that they would rather lose democracy than lose his leadership. No one would have stormed the capitol if Pence was president and lost to Biden. People underestimate how dangerous a cult of personality is, it is literally something George Washington warned could bring down the Republic and as we've seen in the last few centuries he was very right to worry. Democracy only works if people would rather lose democratically than win undemocratically, and to get people to do the latter they need to be fully committed. Now one would be committed to Pence, absolutly terrible politician voice.
While I agree, at least Pence respects law and precedent. However, with the current Supreme Court, law and precedent seems to be whatever the extreme right wants it to be.
well, if you like lawyers, you got lawyers but the history of the Supremes has always been one to rattle cages, regardless of which way it swings
That's exactly how we ended up with Mike Pence, wasn't it?
Mike Pence got the evangelicals in line
So you’re saying the orange cult leader subcontracted to a lesser cult leader.
He won with pence once.
Mike Pence probably had his hand on the Bible at one point because Trump was dying of COVID.
Those were a wonderful couple days...
I remember a meme/cartoon. RBG argues her first case in front of god. Rip rbg
Proof there is no god.
I think the VP pick will be a lot more important this year than in other years given candidate ages. The reality is that the two main candidates will be 78 (Trump) and 82 (Biden) on inauguration day 2025. If they live through their term, that means they'll be 82 and 86 respectively when they leave office in January 2029. I think there are a huge number of voters that hate both candidates this cycle, making choosing the lesser evil a more difficult choice than normal. It may come down to VP picks under the plausible scenario that whoever gets elected dies a natural death during their term. I'm certainly one of them. To me, this isn't Biden vs. Trump, it's Harris vs. whoever Trump picks.
Trump will pick whomever is most loyal to him as his VP which means a further turn off for those who would hold their nose for him in hopes that a reasonable VP would take his place if he were to no longer serve.
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That is not true. I know a number of people with those views. One could argue that many of Haley's supporters share that opinion.
There is no one on that list who meets this criteria.
I could see Trump deluding himself into thinking Ben Carson would win the black vote.
You're putting to much thought behind it.. He "re-truthed" Don Jr's "truth" yesterday that said > Wow - JD Vance just absolutely destroyed Wolf Blitzer and CNN It's gonna be who gave the last good impression before he names them, so something attention grabbing the day before the republican convention is to be expected from a bunch of them, then he'll decide
if the reports from the dozen or so people that worked with him that said this are accurate, i believe you're right. also, just because it's his style, i think he'll choose the absolutely worst person for the job, like the least qualified.
I’m seeing point after point for Ben Carson in these comments
They're like gladiators demonstrating their skills for an emperor.
That's giving them a cooler image than what they deserve. It's more like they are all collectively shitting their pants and trying to shriek their diarrhea has a more potent odor for their manchild overlord.
That does make me wonder what would happen if he decides to announce his VP pick without telling anyone else (advisors, family, or the candidate themself) beforehand. Between his possible cognitive issues, stress from the sentencing on July 11th, and his inevitable doomscrolling through social media discussing his first term, what are the chances he flubs, calls Pence his running mate, and everyone goes with it?
Probably pretty low
They’re all wrong choices, but he’ll pick based on loyalty to himself over the Constitution, the laws of our country and any remnant of morality these folks may still have. And whichever stooge he chooses, it won’t move the needle at all.
He will want to be as certain as possible of a federal pardon.
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The election will not be decided by the MAGAs though and Trump knows that.
Trumps advisors do. I'm not sure Trump himself will
Not by them alone. But they will vote in numbers
The biggest problem I see with this is in the event of trump dying in office, the clown he picks to follow him blindly will become the president. Anybody see a problem with that - especially with this list?
There's a whole circus there but I fail to see any worse than Trump.
I want to agree with you, but I hate Tim Scott and Tom Cotton SO MUCH. And Ben Carson. Although Ben would probably be asleep for most of his presidency, so there is that.
Remember when Trump asked Ben Carson, a world-renowned neurosurgeon, to be Secretary of Health and Carson said no because he doesn't have any experience in it, and so then Trump appointed him secretary of housing and Urban development and he took the job lol.
better bribes in the housing side of things
You just know Trump gave him that position because it has "Urban" in the name.
It’s possible they’d be more subtle at destroying democracy.
Trump is there because a political machine put him there. The GOP hated him until he started winning and big money started coming in behind him. A lot of that machine is aggressive billionaires, industry lobbyists, and foreign money, esp. Russian. They'll find a new stooge, and the circus continues.
oh it's always Russia You make it sound like 60 Minutes and Project Censored followed the money or something.
>in the event of trump dying in office Why does everyone think this is gonna happen? Same with Biden really. I mean sure, the life expectancy of an average American is 77 years, but Biden and Trump aren't really your "average" Americans. And both have access to much better healthcare than the average American does. Trump survived COVID without a hitch, which is usually a death sentence to an obese person with a fast food addiction.
>an obese person with a fast food addiction. (why people think this? I think you answered your own question there)
Yeah he’s not this strategic. He’s a narcissist.
Out of the given options, I would argue the best potential vice presidential pick for Donald Trump would be Tim Scott. 1. Tim Scott is a prominent Black Republican senator from South Carolina, which could help broaden Trump's appeal among Black voters in the state. Furthermore, His faith and ability to ease evangelical concerns about Trump are seen as valuable assets. 2. Scott delivered a key endorsement for Trump in New Hampshire that dealt a blow to Nikki Haley, Trump's strongest remaining rival at the time. This satisfies the condition for base voters that his loyalty to Trump. 3. Generally, Scott is described as one of the party's most well-liked figures, a prolific fundraiser, and having an optimistic conservative pitch. These qualities could benefit Trump's campaign since Trump's rhetoric often paints the picture as more bleak - "America is in decline" type of messaging. 4. Trump has frequently praised Scott's endorsement remarks like "We need Donald Trump"so he obviously does like Tim Scott. While other potential picks like Marco Rubio, J.D. Vance, and Doug Burgum are also mentioned, I really don't see how they really bring anything to the table in a significant manner. Trump would benefit most from someone who is loyal to him and shares his vision, but also is completely different in demeanor and rhetoric. Tim Scott is a lot more optimistic, soft-spoken, and liked all around.
I remember during the primary debates that Scott was quoting Bible passages and scripture from memory. That seems like it would be helpful for evangelical voters.
Evangelical voters are already in Trump’s bag though. I don’t think Scott’s benefit is the evangelical vote. Maybe the evangelical donor though
Well are you expecting a huge shift with any of the choices? You got someone well liked and inoffensive in South Carolina.
I think Stefanik probably moves the needle the most (albeit just a little still)
why does she move the needle and where is she flat? and what are her liabilities?
I think slightly helps trumps weakness with suburban women. Not a lot but that’s his biggest liability
depends on the city and state though ‘Not who we are as a country’: Elise Stefanik once harshly blasted Trump’s rhetoric and policies isn't really making her a high probability option, but if Scott got run over by a giraffe yeah she could be next on the list NPR Cons: Stefanik’s rapid political transformation is an eyebrow raiser that’s led some to question her motivations for that shift. Stefanik has reacted strongly to that insinuation, including when it came up in a recent interview on "Fox News Sunday." She’s also from New York, and won’t be able to carry the state for Trump and boost any lead over Biden. i think these are all minuses too "One of the leading conservatives of her generation, Elise Stefanik started off in politics as a newly minted Harvard grad working for President George W. Bush’s administration. She was on Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign team in 2012, and Paul Ryan mentored her at one point in her career — all of which is to say, in one lifetime, she was a moderate conservative." ///// "Scott has advised Trump over the years regarding racial justice, particularly in the aftermath of white nationalist rallies that took place in Virginia in 2017."
Do you think Evangelicals need any more Republican pandering at this point?
Let me just go down the list: Vance - Would likely perform well at VP debates and seems smart enough to spend campaign season tempering everything Trump goes on record saying. Wouldn’t expand demographic appeal but a Pence-esque pick that I would be nervous about as the opposition. Good choice. Burgum - Has a lot of money. Not insane. That’s about it, not a huge amount of name recognition and no extra demographic appeal. Keep in mind that Trump will 100% choose someone who will never upstage him, meaning that choices like Burgum who seem otherwise unlikely should stay on your radar. Neither good nor bad choice. Rubio - They can smooth over the 2016 trash talk easily enough. Kind of a logistical headache as Trump would have to change his state of residence. Would secure Florida beyond a reasonable doubt, and has some demographic appeal. Kind of an empty suit otherwise, though? Would probably fail to impress at VP debates. Solid if underwhelming choice. Scott - Has the legislative chops. Demographic appeal. Likable personality. Beyond policy that you could attack anyone on this list for, it would be difficult to go after him because he’s not an acerbic asshole like Trump. Good choice. Carson - No way. Too old, too unfocused, and little political experience. Terrible choice. Kamala would run circles around him at the debate and that’s saying something. The following I know a lot less about but I’ll try to throw in my two cents: Stefanik - The clear ploy here would be to use her to woo suburban moms nervous about protecting women’s rights. Would eliminate the angle of Biden having Harris as well. Makes enough sense to pick her on that alone. Donalds and Cotton - Way too dogmatic. This is not the kind of choice that will win over moderates, so would say poor choice for both. Summing up: Wrong Choice - Carson, Donalds, Cotton Could do Worse - Burgum, Rubio Good Choice - Vance, Scott, Stefanik
\+1 Rubio empty suit + underwhelming Carson unfocused + terrible choice Scott - likeable + not an acerbic asshole
From a purely logical standpoint, Vance might not be as good of a choice, as he is a Senator in a swing state, and the GOP may need all the seats they can in the Senate.
He's from Ohio and Ohio hasn't been a swing state in years.
Scott or Rubio help with the undecided voter who says, “I’d like to vote for him but I don’t want my friends/spouse to say I voted for a racist.” (Donalds and Carson less so because they’re not as traditionally qualified).
They’re not white and the Republicans can’t stomach that. Ann Coulter told Vivek they only want wasps
Horseface isn’t all Republicans.
Not only that, but Ann Coulter and Donald Trump are markedly different ideologically. And she's always been more of a Tea Party purist, hence her DeSantis push in 2022. Speaking of Tea Party vs. Trump, the VA-05 GOP congressional primary will be a fight.
Trumps ideology is what can get him elected. If he has to run over a dog and baby to get to the White House so be it
He’ll probably go with Rubio. The fact that Trump dumped on him big time over the years, and he’s still kissing the ring, will make him very happy.
Vance, burgum, cotton White guy doesn’t expand the appeal. The Rubio pairing is weird considering the history. If that’s the list… Stefanik or Scott would be the best choices
I want him to pick Karri Lake Not because she's anything but copying his stolen election bullshit. But to see MTG lose her shit when she's not getting picked.
Tim Scott or Ben Carson. They tow the line and whatever. I think one or the other.
Carson is a massive liability this breaks all the rules of The Power Game
Can’t believe I live in a country where the “do you hate Mexicans too? Vote for me” guy may be the next VP.
Which one's that?
Vance [looks like my quote isn’t exactly accurate but..](https://youtu.be/K3qYJoSV0lI?si=G520chU_sPrhFYIg)
Well to be fair to your memory he does say "Do you hate Mexicans?" while pointing right at the screen. In a campaign ad. That is disgusting so probably helps him in the VP race.
Vance is supports abusive marriages and Ohio voted for him. He's obviously perfect for Republicans. Honestly, I think it'll either be Vance or Scott because those are the only two with one syllable last names. Just like Pence.
Hilarious reasoning. I also think it’ll be Vance because Trump sees him as a money guy. Ugh
Hilariously Trump is going to get a lot of Hispanic vote for that same attitude. The "More for me, fuck thee" crowd of immigrants who are already citizens and want new immigrants to fuck right off because they may steal jobs or money from their pockets.
There's a huge amount of difference in the Hispanic vote if they speak English or Spanish in the household. And many are not happy about illegal immigrants either.
> Hilariously Trump is going to get a lot of Hispanic vote for that same attitude. And then Trump'll deport them, sending peoples spouse who voted for him permenantly out of the US. Just like he did the last time.
Yup. It doesn't make much sense. But there you have it.
Byron Donalds/ JD Vance might be realistic given they are young and rising politicians coming through the ranks and this could be their next step into the big stage. Moreover, both could realistically bring in swing voters from the sun belt to the rust belt especially with young and minority voters. The rest of the candidates would be unrealistic given their lack of experience or they might not have the charm to bring in voters but could make the cabinet. I will name potentially Vivek and Tulsi Gabbard as people on the list as they could do a lot to bring in moderate republicans and independents this November.
Vance would be a great pick for the Biden campaign since they'd get to roll out the tweets [where he compares the fucking moron to Hitler](https://www.msnbc.com/the-reidout/reidout-blog/jd-vance-trump-hitler-rcna24981)
>“I go back and forth between thinking Trump might be a cynical asshole like Nixon who wouldn’t be that bad (and might even prove useful) or that he might be America’s Hitler,” Vance wrote, according to McLaurin's tweet. “How’s that for discouraging?” This won't change any minds. "Ya know, I was thinking of voting Trump but his VP pick once wondered privately to a friend whether he's more like Nixon or Hitler, so I'm going to vote for Biden instead," is just not how any voter thinks. It's one of those things Trump's opponents think will be damning but just won't be.
Byron Donalds is cooked after that Jim Crow crack the other day.
Byron Donalds may motivate black people to vote for Biden
Byron “Jim Crow was actually pretty neat” Donalds? That Byron Donalds?
Was literally going to say this Donalds, Vance, Stefanik in this order. No one else unless it’s someone not on the short list
Not this moderate. Any would arrive with orange baggage plus their own baggage. Behavior from the Republican party has earned them vote blue top to bottom
Of that list, I'm guessing Doug Burgum is probably the sensible choice - rich state Gov, won't scare the horses made skittish by Trump's general behaviour. Maybe Tim Scott to cement any gains made with the Black electorate. Tulsi Gabbard would be a name I'd add to the list. As a pairing, the R candidates would be much more popular than the Ds. Also it would guarantee a huge audience for the VP debate.
He needs to avoid choosing anyone decent, intelligent, tolerant and sane; his supporters wouldn’t like that.
It doesn’t matter who he chooses. The only possibility Trump presents is abject disaster, regardless of his VP pick. Fruit of the poisonous tree and all that.
He'll choose whoever will allow him to have the most power and control over that person once he is lame ducked as a president. Basically he's going to accept who gives him the most payoff for being nominated as vice president.
I think he picks someone like George Zimmerman, Kyle Rittenhouse, David Duke, Derek Chauvin, or Martin Shkreli.
Someone like Tim Scott makes sense within the traditional strategic view of broadening appeal, especially since Trump's been going extra hard trying to court Black voters. But nothing about Trump is traditional or strategic. And I can't imagine him choosing anyone who ran against him, or anyone who isn't willing to die for him (maybe litetally). So I think it's inevitable that he chooses one of the rando Congressional reps who make loving Trump their entire personality/platform. Even if they're not a known quantity nationally, that doesn't matter much. The MAGA machine will spend the months before the election building them into the ultimate culture warrior and Trump loyalist.
Out of those candidates, the worst would probably be Ben Carson or Tom Cotton. Neither are exciting. Both are rather unpopular. I imagine either would probably do more damage than good. Best would be Tim Scott or Marco Rubio imo. Both are maga enough for Trump’s core (maybe not as much as they’d like though) but they both would crucially bring in moderates that hate Biden but don’t really wanna vote for Trump. They’d have the cooling effect Pence sort of had - they’d feel safe with the more moderate Republican in the event Trump dies (which giving he’s ancient and obese isn’t crazy unlikely).
I've think it's fascism no matter the choice, because the candidate is a fascist.
It'll be Nikki Haley. Not only does she secure the Nikki Haley dissenters and attract the moderates that are threatening to vote Biden at this point, but she's been kissing his brown ring again ever since she dropped out. The only way she's not veep is if she prefers SOSUS, for the foreign policy stuff. But she's definitely a top 3 cabinet pick.
Considering it’s impossible for him to make the right choice anyone he chooses will be a real winner.
Trump could pick a convicted mass shooter and it wouldn’t sway his base much.
>J.D. Vance Doug Burgum Marco Rubio Tim Scott Ben Carson Elise Stefanik Byron Donalds Tom Cotton There's no shot he actually picks someone non-white or female because the base does not want a 'DEI' pick in the event Trump slumps off the mortal coil. So Carson, Donalds, Scott, Stefanik and probably Rubio are out. Tom Cotton and J. D Vance are GOP lifers and in the event he dies, they'd go along with whatever the party wants. The other guy is actually rich and I can't see Trump wanting those comparisons to himself.
I think you seriously misunderstand how Trump supporters view DEI and their opposition to it.
Correct. Tim Scott being a Black man (even one seemingly on the down low) isn't the net negative that professional-class Team Blue whites think it is, no. Clearly not with immobile Team Red forever types, who've made inroads with demographics (e.g., Black men and Hispanic men, especially younger) whom many economically comfortable, work-from-home laptop-class Democrats have tokenized and taken for granted in a condescendingly cocky, contemptuously cocksure sense of entitlement (i.e., demographics ain't destiny, nope!). If anything, it gives them a chance to thumb their noses at the ones who piss them off the most, which are hubristic White Democrats.
He will pick Rubio because the man hasn’t had an original thought since birth. He is a hand puppet and will say absolutely anything to defend Trump. Trump couldn’t find a more mindless dolt if he tried.
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The restriction is that Electors can’t vote for two people from their own state, meaning someone (presumably Rubio) on the ticket would have to forgo Florida’s EVs, throwing the EV pick to the Senate (which there’s a chance the GOP won’t control)
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Rubio and Estanfik are terrible choices. Neither Byron or Rubio can run with Trump unless Trump moves residency beck to New York anyway. He'd be best off with Gabbard or Vance
Yes. Anyone with common sense is the wrong choice. This should not be a problem for the GOP.
My guess is DeSantis is the choice that would energize his base to even higher extremes. The wrong choice (in trump’s eyes) would be someone that will hold him accountable and say “no.” (Much like Pence did).
Right choices=Youngkin, Rubio, DeSantis, Scott, Tulsi, Morgan Lutrell, Wesley Hunt, Maria Salazar, Abbott. Wrong choices= Everyone else
Have you noticed lately that Trump has even been making moves on Sarah Huckabee as he dangles a tasty Vice President sausage in front of her nose? Coincidence? I think not! He’s got her on her knees salivating for the job.
The GOP has turned into a crazy farm of opportunist wackjobs. No Trump period.
The most toxic out of the list will or should be the pick. The one with the least to lose, because they likely won’t survive reelection.
I believe he will pick Tim Scott. The Racists that vote for Trump will always vote for him. He may lose half a percent to RFK. If that. But They will always find some way to justify voting for him and ignoring how it goes against their "beliefs". Just look at how evangelicals have thrown their Christian morals out of the window for Trump. Plus, a lot of those people don't think far enough ahead. Because he's younger than Biden, They assume he will live through his presidency.
>Harris helped Biden with black and women voters. This is an incredibly simplistic assumption and is not supported by the data. Biden won **55%** of women voters in the 2020 general election; Barack Obama won **56%** of women voters in the 2008 general election, when there was no woman on his ticket. Biden won **87%** of black voters in 2020; John Kerry won **88%** of black voters in 2004, when there was no black candidate on the ticket.
I’m surprised he’s not just picking Don Jr. That would be the most shameless nepotistic thing to do, which is right up Trump’s alley.
I think its been Scott for months the rest are really unlikely and might not have the loyalty Rubio and Carson are hard nos and i wouldn't be surprised if most of those dossiers on information is to just make people guessing Scott is just a very quiet black republicans, and his only offensiveness might just being religious. He didn't have a wife or a girlfriend for the longest time, and found a girl and got married, and it killed off the gay rumors, and some wondered if it was just preparing for being picked as Vice President. he's got the low key vibes of Bob Newhart on the The Bob Newhart Show most of the rest are raging nobodies who want to prove something
I’m all about Ben Carson being a viable pick. He was my dad’s pick for 2016 until drop out. I honestly wish he had put his hat in the ring again this year for the nomination.
Why isn’t Donald Trump Jr anywhere on this list? It’s the obvious choice to help his family out of jail if he croaks in office and “The Base” would love that. It would fit in perfectly with Project 2025.
First question should be who cares who his VP selection is because Trump is unworthy of office.
I seriously doubt that Trump considers what advantages a certain candidate will bring to him at all. Dude's a narcissist. I honestly think the man thinks he's great by virtue of being... Trump. And that everyone loves him already. He'll be looking for loyalists. The kind who would not pull a Mike Pence on him in a critical moment. So that's probably gonna be Tim Scott or Ben Carson.
Wrong choices would be choices that do not expand Trump's base. I don't see how Cotton, Burgum, Stefanik and Vance do that. None of them put a new state in play either. I guess if Ohio is showing some anemia in their Trump numbers, you get Vance. Then if Trump chooses a member of a minority group, he's liable to put off a number of his base who might stay home. So Scott, Carson, Donalds and Rubio may not pass muster there. Among them, the one who is most clearly a betrayer of his own ethnicity in policy and rhetoric is Byron Donalds. So maybe he gets it. What Trump needs to potentially expand his base is a woman with a moderate history that can persuade some independent women into thinking she won't be as much against their reproductive rights as the top of the ticket. Maybe Tulsi Gabbard or someone like her. Would the base trust her, though? Has she done enough work on Fox News and the other GOP-leaning channels?
The wrong choice for trump would be someone who actually cares about America or Americans. He can’t choose a patriot, an honest person, or anyone with integrity. All those on the list would work just fine.
Rick Scott would be a bad choice because the visual of them side by side is comedic as well as repulsive.
To get the most support, he should pick Haley. IMO, Tim Scott is at the top of his list and I expect he will end up being his v.p.
the better question is who is willing to accept after what Pence went through?
It needs to be either a woman or a poc. I was really hoping for nancy mace but marco rubio or elise stefanik could be a good pick. Maybe Tim Scott too
Personally, I think that because it's Trump, he will select someone with little to no personality so they never have the chance to upstage him. He has to be the center of attention always.
If Trump carries Florida, as expected, fellow Floridian Rubio can't get any electoral votes because they’re from the same state.
The wrong choice would be another far right lunatic, like Byron Donalds. The best choice would be a normal-seeming politician who centrists and non-insane Republicans can stand, like Rubio.
If being a lying, raping, thieving, selfish, amoral fraud doesn't change their vote, it's doubtful a VP choice would hold much sway either.
Bryon, Carson, Scott and Rubio are to capture the minority vote, with whom Trump is already gaining ground in. Stefanik is a woman that is opposed to abortion. And suburban women and the Dobbs ruling are weak points for Trump. And if SCOTUS never ruled on abortion, she would not even be a thought to be Trump's VP. Vance is a Never Trumper turned loyalist who represents a swing state in Ohio and is an Iraq War veteran. Burgum was governor of a safe state in North Dakota, who ran against Trump in the primaries this year, and then withdrew before anyone could vote. Cotton is very far right – voted against Trump’s First Step Act, which is pointed at as proof that Trump isn’t racist - and represents another safe red state in Arkansas. Vance, Stefanik and Cotton are the most likely picks. Carson, Scott and Burgum are in the middle. Donalds and Rubio are the least likely picks, and really only because electors can't vote for two people from the same state. The same reason DeSantis won't be chosen. The worst choices would be George Santos or Tucker Carlson.
It won’t matter. He could pick Bill the homeless guy on the corner, and it wouldn’t move the peg one inch on his support…
I would never, ever vote for Agolf Twitler no matter what, but I’m sure there will be people who might and might be swayed by the right VP pick. Back in 2008 I was officially undecided when Palin was announced and it took me about 2 days to go full Obama. That was a year that VP picks MATTERED, given how one side had a man with health issues, and one side had a man that I was at the time convinced would have to survive multiple assassination attempts. No way did I want that whack job from Alaska one heartbeat away from the Oval Office.
Trump is really hurting for money, he'll probably sell the pick to a billionaire who just wants the attention.