With Donald Trump seemingly destined to be the GOP nomination for president, speculation has turned to who he will choose as his vice president candidate.
“Morning Joe” host Mika Brzezinski threw out a theory earlier this week that drew some support. She speculated that Trump and Marco Rubio are refraining from attacking each other because Trump has made a backroom deal with Rubio to make him second-in-command.
Trump has shied away from much talk over a potential VP pick, although he did say at a talk this week that he wants a “political person” to be his running mate if he wins the nomination.
“I do want somebody that’s political because I want to get lots of great legislation, that we all want passed, that’s just sitting there—for years and years and years we’ve have things sitting there that would be so good. Including proper healthcare and other things,” Trump said, reported Breitbart.
But he added that the primary characteristic he’s looking for is somebody who would make a good president.
“The main quality that you want is somebody that could be a great president, if something happens to you, that’s got to be—don’t you think that’s got to be number one?” he asked rhetorically. “The most important thing is you have to have somebody who would be a great president, but after that you want somebody who can help you with legislation, getting it through, etc. etc. etc.”
A number of other media outlets have speculated on potential running mates for Trump besides Rubio—with South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley being mentioned by most of them.
“The South Carolina governor probably makes the most conventional sense for Trump—or any of the rest of the likely Republican nominees. For Trump, Haley would help address lots of his weaknesses. She’s an Indian American woman who can help prove wrong the idea that Trump is simply the candidate of angry white men,” says the Washington Post.
“She’s in her early 40s while Trump will be 70 on election day. She endorsed Rubio in her state’s primary, so picking her could put to rest the idea that Trump is vengeful and vindictive to anyone who crosses him. It almost makes too much sense.”
Another common candidate? Rick Scott, governor of Florida.
“Scott, a businessman before he became governor, hasn’t endorsed anyone in the Republican race,” noted the Daily Caller. “But he has spoken positively of Trump before, writing in an op-ed: ‘I think he is capturing the frustration of many Americans after seven years of President Obama’s very intentional government takeover of the U.S. economy.’”
Sarah Palin, the vice president nominee in 2008, has also appeared as a possibility by those speculating.
“Trump loves nothing more than sticking it to the GOP political class and the media punditry. And which candidate in recent years is more disliked by those two groups than the former governor of Alaska? Answer: no one,” the Post noted.
“Palin’s populism is not all that dissimilar to what Trump is pitching in this election. Picking Palin is, um, not without risk. But Trump loves risks.”
Alabama senator Jeff Sessions, former Massachusetts senator Scott Brown, and former House speaker Newt Gingrich are among the other potential running mates for Trump.
