A Second Look at the Trump Veepstakes
May 20th, 2024
After Kristi Noem’s revelation in her own autobiography that she killed her own puppy and goat in a pit, her chances of being Trump’s VP are essentially zero. I genuinely believed that she was going to end up as the final choice (feel free to dunk on me). In light of that, let’s take a look at who is trending up, trending down, and standing pat.
Trending Up: JD Vance
Ohio’s junior senator has slowly worked his way up the ladder of VP speculation. Among many other VP hopefuls, Speaker Johnson, and MAGA elected officials, Vance has made an appearance at the Manhattan courthouse in solidarity with Trump. Lately, he’s taken a much more visible role as a Trump surrogate, even appearing as a "special guest" at a Trump fundraiser last week.
Vance has also dipped more and more into the denial of reality by parroting the normal Trump talking points. In an interview, he failed to say he would accept the results of the election, stating that he would only if they were “fair.” Of course, this doublespeak is as a good as a “no.” Vance has also attacked witnesses in the trial and claimed that the entire thing was run by “Democratic operatives.”
JD Vance. Photo credit: CNN
Standing Pat: Tim Scott
Tim Scott has been an enthusiastic Trump surrogate since November 2023. Unlike many in the MAGA world, the junior senator from South Carolina is liked and respected by his colleagues. His strength is not so much in his personality, but rather policy. He has scheduled a June policy summit with hedge fund managers.
Scott’s boon to the ticket would be his oratorical skill and compelling life story. For more “moderate” Republicans, the hope would be that Scott could persuade Black Americans to vote Republican in November.
For all his accomplishments, Scott just can’t seem to generate a lot of hype-something that may ultimately sink his chances and why he hasn’t budged in the Veepstakes.
Tim Scott and Donald Trump. Photo credit: The New Republic
Trending Down: Katie Britt
The freshman Alabama senator was once considered an option for Trump, but since delivering the Republican response to Biden’s State of the Union address, her greatest accomplishment was being ridiculed on Saturday Night Live and the wider press. If that wasn’t bad enough, the story she told about a sex trafficking victim to highlight Biden’s border policy was actually something that happened under George W. Bush’s administration.
Any attempt she has made to try and clean up her remarks failed. She’s kept a relatively low profile since then.
Katie Britt. Photo credit: USA Today
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Trending Up: Ron DeSantis
Governor Florida Man has returned from the political dead. Maybe.
In late April, Trump met with DeSantis in an effort by DeSantis to reset their relationship. On the campaign trail, DeSantis was reluctant to go after Trump, whereas Trump had zero hesitation about targeting Meatball Ron’s jugular. Despite DeSantis’s capitulation in Iowa, Trump seemed content to freeze him out.
The big takeaway from their meeting was that DeSantis is willing to raise money for Trump’s campaign. Despite the spectacular flameout, DeSantis did rake in a massive amount of money, something that Trump will desperately need as his fundraising woes continue. If there’s one language Trump speaks, it’s cash, something that could be DeSantis’s ticket back to Trump’s good graces.
Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis. Photo credit: Politico
Trending Down: Nikki Haley
Haley was always one of longest shots to win the opportunity to lose alongside Trump in November. While some have latched onto the idea of a unity ticket, I don’t see a compelling case for either one to consider such an arrangement. That’s before taking into account that Trump has formally quashed her chances.
If Haley would accept an offer, she would lose the dedicated base that she has cultivated throughout this primary. Even in West Virginia, she earned nearly 10% of the vote. This is something we haven’t seen-even the Kennedy/Carter primary had them battling to the end. Haley hasn’t been a candidate since March.
For Trump to make the offer, he would risk looking weak. That in and of itself is a nonstarter. Now, imagine the dynamic in the White House: Trump would have to wonder if she would attempt to force him out via the 25th Amendment every day. There is no way this happens.
Nikki Haley. Photo credit: USA Today
This is going to be a big week for the blog! Tomorrow night I’ll be doing a May edition of the State of the Race for the White House and Thursday will be the Senate version-both for paid subscribers. Wednesday I’ll be covering the presidential primary contests in the last two weeks. Friday morning I plan on having out the latest on Eric Hovde-the first in a series of problematic Senate candidates.
See you tomorrow!
