ANALYSIS:
Former President Donald Trump can choose from a list of political heavyweights and conservative stars for a running mate, but he says he has zeroed in on his vice presidential choice, whom he will announce at the Republican National Convention in July.
“I have sort of a pretty good idea,” Mr. Trump told Fox News about his latest thinking. “Look, we have some really talented people.”
This is the second time Mr. Trump has vetted possible running mates. In 2016, he settled on Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, which helped shield him from concerns about whether the twice-divorced candidate could be a champion for social and religious conservatives.
The falling-out between Mr. Pence and Mr. Trump has renewed the focus on the quality the former president cares about most: loyalty.
Analysts say Mr. Trump is also likely looking to balance the ticket with someone who can help shore up support among moderate Republicans and make inroads with the suburban women, minority voters and young voters who have grown disillusioned with Democrats.
Some prospects have fared better than others.
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem lost some shine after sharing book excerpts that described her shooting an unruly family dog named Cricket and then an unnamed family goat and having a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un that likely never happened.
The list of contenders includes Republicans who voted to certify the 2020 election results and evolved from Trump haters to prominent allies. Notable wild cards include former Fox News personality Tucker Carlson and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, arguably his most loyal supporter.
The vice presidential chatter has also attracted ambitious up-and-comers such as Reps. Elise Stefanik of New York and Byron Donalds of Florida.
Here is what some of the top contenders add to the Republican ticket.
Sen. J.D. Vance
Sen. J.D. Vance provided a glimpse of what he brings to the table during a recent appearance on CNN. He went head-to-head with Wolf Blitzer over the “sham” trial that led a jury to find Mr. Trump guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to conceal hush money payments in 2016.
“You cannot say that this trial was anything more than politics masquerading as justice and, yes, I will help Donald Trump however I think that I can. … If we allow the standard that you can throw your political opponents in jail because they are doing better than you in an election, it will be the end of this country as we know it.”
Such exchanges showcase what Mr. Vance’s allies say is his proven ability to articulate a message that resonates as much with a pipe fitter as it does with a Harvard graduate.
Mr. Vance, a former Marine, Yale Law School graduate and bestselling author, can raise money. He helped connect Mr. Trump with David Sacks, the Silicon Valley entrepreneur who recently held a big-dollar fundraiser for the Republican presidential candidate at his San Francisco home.
Sen. Tim Scott
Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina has gone from Mr. Trump’s rival in the nomination race to one of his biggest cheerleaders on Capitol Hill.
The recently engaged 58-year-old is the sole Black Republican in the Senate and among its most beloved members.
He would bring a sunny disposition to the ticket that could help soften Mr. Trump’s divisive image.
Mr. Scott has proved to be a doggedly loyal sidekick, which Mr. Trump demands. He knows how to stay on message. He could also help Mr. Trump expand his support in battleground states and with key segments of the electorate, including Black voters.
The big question is whether Mr. Scott brings enough gravitas to the ticket. As one strategist said, if Mr. Trump wants a yes-man, “Tim is his guy.”
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum
Gov. Doug Burgum of North Dakota crashed onto the national scene this year in his long-shot bid for the Republican presidential nomination. He combined a mild-mannered style with warnings about a cold war with China and a focus on energy.
Mr. Burgum’s bid might be best remembered for offering $20 gift cards to people who donated as little as $1 to his campaign to meet the donation threshold to qualify for the debate stage. He also hurt his Achilles tendon playing basketball with campaign staff.
Nonetheless, Mr. Burgum made a strong impression on Mr. Trump after dropping out of the nomination race and endorsing his bid.
The New York Times reported that Mr. Burgum has since advised the former president on energy policy and connected him with oil billionaires in North Dakota.
Warming up the crowd at a recent Trump rally, Mr. Burgum said the contrast between serving as a governor under the Trump and Biden administrations was stark.
“Working with President Trump as a governor was like having a beautiful breeze at your back. President Trump respects states’ rights, he cut regulations, he lowered taxes,” he said. “Working under the Biden regulatory regime machine is like having a gale-force wind in your face because the Biden bureaucrats are treating our constitutional republic like a dictatorship.”
Marco Rubio
Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida has gone from being considered the party’s next big star to living in the Trump shadow since riding the tea party movement to victory in 2010.
Still, the 53-year-old father of four is viewed as one of the party’s most natural talents and could help ease the concerns of some moderate Republicans about the former president.
A skilled orator with Cuban American roots, Mr. Rubio could expand Mr. Trump’s appeal to Hispanic voters and hold his own on a debate stage against Vice President Kamala Harris.
He also has developed relationships in the Senate that could help a Trump administration on the legislative front and a hawkish view on foreign policy that could help balance Mr. Trump’s more cautious approach.
Whether he could help Mr. Trump win over working-class voters in battleground states such as Michigan and Pennsylvania is uncertain.
If selected, Mr. Rubio might have to move out of the state because the Constitution bars Electoral College voters from voting for president and vice president from the same state.
Tom Cotton
Like Mr. Rubio, Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas has been eager to influence the nation’s foreign policy and is a vocal critic of President Biden’s handling of world affairs.
Mr. Cotton, 47, is a decorated combat veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. The married father of two also has a law degree from Harvard.
He served in the U.S. House before he was elected to the Senate in 2014.
Analysts say Mr. Cotton’s experience on the Senate Armed Services Committee and Select Committee on Intelligence would strengthen the ticket’s national security credentials during global instability.
Mr. Cotton’s allies describe him as meticulous, disciplined, well-versed in policy and a strong communicator.
The resume could help Mr. Trump shore up the support of traditional Republicans, but it is unclear whether Mr. Cotton could help attract independents and disenfranchised Democrats.
Ben Carson
The most glaring example of politics making for strange bedfellows could be a Trump-Carson Republican presidential ticket.
The renowned pediatric neurosurgeon was one of the surprises of the 2016 Republican nomination race, and he struck up a friendship with Mr. Trump that led him to serve as secretary of housing and urban development.
In a Trump administration with constant turnover, Mr. Carson survived the entire term and managed to do something many around him could not: stay in Mr. Trump’s good graces.
Analysts have described Mr. Carson as a thoughtful man of faith and integrity. They say he has an aspirational story, the party’s base loves him and he has far less of a polarizing effect on the broader electorate than Mr. Trump, including among Black voters.
In a recent appearance on CNN, Mr. Carson welcomed the idea of debating Ms. Harris. He said he would love to have an opportunity to outline the policy and philosophical differences between Mr. Trump and Mr. Biden.
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
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