Trump’s Hints Reveal Strategy for Choosing a Running Mate

President Trump and campaign insiders hint about potential vice presidential picks, yet his most direct statements reveal more about process than personnel.

Former president and 2024 presidential hopeful Donald Trump attends a "Get Out the Vote" Rally in Conway, S.C., on Feb. 10, 2024. Julia Nikhinson/AFP via Getty Images

Former President Donald Trump is likely to choose a running mate who is qualified to hold the Oval Office and whom the former president believes he can work with effectively. A coterie of close advisers has urged him also to make the choice politically expedient by naming either a woman or a black man.

President Trump has been cagey about revealing his thoughts on the matter, and he has a penchant for surprise and misdirection, although his 2016 choice and some names offered by campaign confidants provide some clues as to who the front-runners are.

The Trump Way

Presidential running mates are often chosen based on political expediency. Nominations used to be made with, essentially, one factor in mind: broadening the appeal of the presidential candidate. Vice presidents held little authority other than serving as president of the Senate.