With Trump closing in on nomination, the effective audition to become his vice president is underway
MANCHESTER, NH — As she addressed a crush of volunteers and media at Donald Trump’s headquarters in New Hampshire on Saturday, New York Rep. Elise Stefanik received a welcome song.
“VP! VP! VP!” a man shouted across the room.
Although vice presidential candidates are typically chosen only after a candidate has secured the nomination, Trump’s decisive victory in last week’s Iowa caucuses and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ departure from the race have only further exacerbated the already widespread sense of It is inevitable that he will be the Republican nominee. That has given the campaign stops by Stefanik and other Republicans the feel of a public tryout reminiscent of Trump’s days as a reality TV host.
Many Republicans are longing for a presidential spot with Trump as a chance to fill a high-profile role that has lifted many ambitious politicians from relative obscurity.
That interest comes despite the fate of Trump’s first vice president, Mike Pence. For four years, Pence was Trump’s most loyal defender, advocating for him at every opportunity. But in the final months of their administration, Trump turned on Pence, calling him disloyal for refusing to go along with his unconstitutional effort to block President Joe Biden’s victory.
Pence’s role in certifying the 2020 election not only threatened his life during the insurrection at the US Capitol, but also sidelined his political career. He was set to end his own bid for this year’s Republican Party presidential nomination in October after failing to gain traction. Many Trump supporters still believe the former president’s lies about the election and consider Pence a traitor.
The Trump campaign has hosted several events in both Iowa and New Hampshire with high-profile surrogates.
The events not only serve as a chance to demonstrate their loyalty and star power to Trump’s team, but also serve as a reward for volunteers and as a recruiting tool that brings in new faces, senior Trump officials said.
Stefanik joined Trump on stage at his Friday evening rally in New Hampshire and stopped by his campaign headquarters the next morning to thank and make phone calls to volunteers. In both appearances, she emphasized that she was the first member of Congress to support Trump’s comeback bid.
“I am proud to be one of his strongest supporters, especially at important moments,” she told reporters. Asked if she would consider becoming his running mate, Stefanik said: “Of course I would be honored, I’ve said that for a year, to serve in any capacity in a future Trump administration.”
Others who have appeared on Trump’s behalf in Iowa and New Hampshire include Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, Arizona Senate candidate Kari Lake and Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. Lake was at a rally Sunday night to take photos with supporters and hold a baby in the crowd.
Former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy appeared with Trump on stage in New Hampshire a day after he withdrew from the race, also drawing chants of “VP” from the crowd as he delivered a fiery speech.
And at the same rally where Stefanik spoke, Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, Trump’s former rival in the presidential race, announced his enthusiastic support in what sounded like his own audition.
“We need Donald Trump!” Scott said, leading the crowd in an impassioned call-and-response full of the passion that many of his own campaign appearances seemed to lack. Trump stood behind him, grinning.
Trump has also fueled speculation by recently saying during a Fox News town hall that he already knows “who it’s going to be.” He told Fox News host Bret Baier this weekend that “there’s probably a 25% chance” that he would ultimately choose the person he had in mind, adding: “The person I think I like, is a very good person, quite standard. I don’t think people will be that surprised.”
Jason Miller, a senior campaign adviser, declined to discuss the vice presidential prospects or speculation about potential running mates. But he said those who campaigned on Trump’s behalf in Iowa and New Hampshire “drew huge crowds and all did a fantastic job of pushing voters to choose President Trump. So we’re very happy and excited about both the work that they’ve all done and the reception that they’ve all received,” he said.
Trump has been discussing possible picks since long before he formally launched his campaign, throwing out names, asking friends and Mar-a-Lago members for feedback and keeping a close eye on those seeking the post.
In those conversations he has often indicated that he is interested in selecting a woman. Allies also say that while loyalty – and having a reliable attack dog who can defend him effectively – is paramount, Trump is also aware that he would be entering a second term as a lame duck president and would not want a second-in-command that could overshadow him with immediate speculation about 2028.
Among those considered high on the list is Stefanik, a member of the Republican leadership of the House of Representatives, who has seen her profile rise after her aggressive questioning of a trio of college presidents about anti-Semitism prompted two of their resignations put.
Aware that aggressively angling for the job risked backfiring, the former Trump critic has tried to position himself as a trusted ally of the former president, defending him in both of his impeachments and leading an ethics hearing in New York to file a complaint against the judge hearing his civil cases. fraud case.
During a recent appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press, Stefanik referred to those imprisoned for crimes committed on January 6 as “hostages.”
Last week at a roadside Western saloon in the small town of Kingston, Vance, the Ohio senator, offered a strong message of support for Trump to a small crowd sitting on bar tables nestled among whiskey barrels.
Vance once called himself a “never Trump guy” and labeled Trump an “idiot.” But like many members of his party, he has sided with Trump. He says the two are now “very close” and talk “all the time.” And while he said he would “help as much as I can” if he were offered the vice presidential ticket, he said Trump would also need allies in Congress.
“I think this is the best place for me to actually be an advocate for the agenda in the United States Senate. But if the president asked, I would definitely have to think about it. “I want to help him where I can,” he said.
Vance said he wouldn’t pretend to advise Trump on the decision, but that Nikki Haley, Trump’s last remaining major Republican rival, would be a poor choice. “Stefanik is great. Kristi Noem is amazing. I think all these people are great. “Tim Scott is a really good guy and would make a great vice president,” he said.
Trump has already effectively ruled Haley out. He said at a meeting in Concord last week that his former U.N. ambassador is “not presidential wood.”
Haley is fiercely opposed by many in Trump’s “MAGA” base, including his son, Donald Trump Jr., who said he would “go to any lengths” to prevent her from being offered the job.
Other potential contenders mentioned by Trump allies include Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, his former press secretary, Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, who recently endorsed Trump after his own had dropped bids for the White House, Florida Representative Byron Donalds and Fox News host Tucker Carlson.
Susan Ingrahm-Kelly, 64, of Bedford, New Hampshire, visited Trump’s campaign headquarters on Saturday to see Stefanik in person and raved about the congressman’s questioning of Ivy League presidents.
“Oh, I think she’s fantastic!” she said. “I absolutely love what she did, this whole Harvard thing.”
Ingrahm-Kelly, who is leaning toward voting for Trump on Tuesday, said she also likes the idea of a new female vice president. “I like to see strong, educated, articulate women, don’t you? I think she’s fantastic.”