Can Trump Elect a Weepy Veep? Insiders say Doug Burgum’s tears could rule him out as the VP race heats up

Doug Burgum’s looks, loyalty and business prowess have propelled him to the top of Donald Trump’s list of potential vice presidents.

But does North Dakota’s governor have a fatal flaw?

Since announcing his intention to run for governor’s residence in 2016, his public appearances have been marked by a tendency to choke.

His eyes watered as he talked about the loss of his father and the pandemic mask policy.

His mouth is downturned and his words are at a standstill during televised town halls and newspaper editorial board meetings.

And he fought back tears through trembling lips as he spoke about the power of gratitude and the destructive potential of meth addiction.

That human face might help him connect with the voting public, but it could undermine his chances with the one person who will decide whether or not he becomes Trump’s running mate.

The former president famously sees it as a sign of weakness in men.

“I just don’t think men crying in public fits Trump’s image or the moment,” says conservative broadcaster and Trump confidant John Fredericks.

And you don’t have to just take his word for it.

In Tim O’Brien’s 2005 biography, “TrumpNation: The Art of Being the Donald,” Trump himself was quoted as saying, “I don’t believe in crying.”

‘It’s just not my thing. I have nothing against someone crying, but when I see a man crying, I consider it a weakness. I don’t like seeing men cry.’

Burgum is one of four “finalists” reportedly being considered by Trump. The other three are Sens. Marco Rubio, Tim Scott and JD Vance.

Vance beat the others in a poll of conservatives last weekend, but insiders say Burgum may have the edge in Trump’s eyes as the only one who wouldn’t try to outsmart his boss or steal the spotlight.

Burgum hasn’t exactly cried in public, but he has come very close.

In his first State of the State address as governor in 2017, it only took until the second minute before he choked up.

“I’ve personally experienced the power of gratitude, and I’ve seen how it changes outcomes, it changes organizations,” he said, his voice cracking and slowing, “and I’ve seen how gratitude changes lives.”

It happened again later in the speech, when he told the story of a homeless meth addict. His bottom lip trembled as he fought back tears as he described how the 19-year-old slept handcuffed to a homemade bicycle for fear it would be stolen.

In 2020, he broke down in tears as he called on North Dakotans not to make pandemic masks a political issue.

“When someone wears a mask, they are not doing so to represent which political party they are a member of or which candidates they support. Maybe they do it because they have a five-year-old child who has been through cancer treatments…’ he says before coming to a stop, fighting back tears.

“Maybe they have vulnerable adults in their lives who currently have COVID that they’re fighting and so on.”

Local newspaper Forum noted his emotional delivery during an editorial meeting in 2017.

“Burgum’s voice swelled with emotion twice, once when she told the story of a Native American elder who told him that drug abuse was her community’s biggest problem,” it wrote. “The other time came when he was discussing the suicides of two children under the age of fourteen on the Turtle Mountain Reservation.”

Expressing emotions may be human in such situations, but those who know Trump say he believes the president and his vice president should project strength, not weakness.

“It’s no secret that he considers crying a sign of weakness in men,” he said.

“You’re talking about a man who is a lot warmer behind the scenes than he is in public, and there have been times when employees in the past have recommended showing a little more of that warmth in public. And there’s a reason why he just doesn’t like doing it that much.”

The issue famously emerged as one of Trump’s picks for the Supreme Court when Brett Kavanaugh broke down under Senate questions about sexual assault allegations.

“I wonder how #45 will respond to Kavanaugh crying,” tweeted Omarosa Manigault-Newman, a former Apprentice contestant who followed Trump to the White House.

In turn, the Trump campaign refuted speculation about who the former president would choose for vice president.

Brian Hughes, senior adviser, said: “As President Trump himself has said, the most important criterion in selecting a vice president is a strong leader who will be a great president for eight years after his next four-year term ends.

“But anyone who tells you they know who or when President Trump will choose his vice president is lying, unless that person’s name is Donald J. Trump.”

A spokesperson for Burgum did not respond to a request for comment.