Sharp differences about who would be the greatest candidate to join the ticket have emerged from the behind-the-scenes lobbying among close advisers and funders as former President Donald Trump narrows his emphasis on a small group of possible running mates.
Before the president makes his decision, people from all around him—including his family, conservative media personalities, former aides, and donors—are vying for his attention, multiple people close to the former president tell.
Sen. J.D. Vance is a well-known fan of Donald Trump Jr., his eldest son, who has hosted the Ohio Republican on his web show and encouraged him to speak with his father. Rupert Murdoch, who controls a media empire that leans conservative, has pushed Trumpworld to give North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum some thought while also giving the little-known Republican favorable press.
Murdoch's favorite, Fox News anchor Sean Hannity, has defended Florida senator Marco Rubio, claiming that the son of Cuban immigrants may assist Trump among Latino votes in crucial battlegrounds.
The need for shadow campaigning in the veepstakes has grown. Trump has set a deadline of less than one month to reveal his vice presidential nominee at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. As a result, discussions within the organization over who the former president will select have taken on a new direction. According to Trump's aides and others close to the former president, the screening process for candidates has begun, advisers have created lists of advantages and disadvantages, and Trump himself has adopted a more serious and sincere approach to figuring out who he believes is the finest person to serve beside him.
The former president is his own best advisor, according to Trump's campaign, and he alone will make the decision. His advisors warn that the former president's selection is still in flux and that he may alter his mind before formally announcing his choice.
Other Republicans, such as Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, House GOP conference chair Elise Stefanik, Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida, and former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson, have all received varying degrees of vetting paperwork and are still being considered, even though Vance, Burgum, and Rubio are currently the front-runners.
"Their standing really depends on the day, who he speaks with and who he sees on TV," stated a top Trump aide.
A bundler for the outgoing president asserted that Trump is not inclined to hear from those who overtly display their bias.
As numerous sources informed CNN, Trump's top aides, such as campaign managers Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles, have deliberately refrained from commenting.
According to the bundler, "Trump tunes out people who are campaigning for him when he asks them what they think." "He will ask you if he values and respects your opinion."
“A Trump associate continued by saying that Wiles in particular is hesitant to endorse only one candidate, pointing out that her demeanor has established the team's tone."
The source claimed, "Susie has endured this long because she gives helpful information, but she lets Trump make the final call."
According to a senior Trump advisor, "nobody in this campaign is lobbying or pushing anybody above anyone else."
"The adviser further stated that the president has been very clear about the main focus of his choice being someone who he believes would have a great eight years of service after his next four-year term."
Rubio wins the dinner party straw poll.
According to two attendees at the dinner in New York City after his criminal conviction, Trump asked about two dozen Wall Street financiers and wealthy fundraisers for their opinions on the candidate he should choose.
He went around the rectangular table one by one, but no one seemed to come to a clear consensus. When someone at the event proposed that Trump select former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley, a member of his Cabinet in the past and current primary opponent, Trump scowled. When someone else proposed a write-in candidate whose name was unknown outside of academia, the audience became confused.
Attendees reported that Vance and Burgum were mentioned a few times. At least two guests also gave Scott their support.
In the informal straw poll, Rubio garnered the most votes, with many supporters pointing to his 53-year-old status as the candidate's backup in the event that their 78-year-old contender fell ill. They argued that in Rubio, Trump would also receive a seasoned legislator who might help the former president win over Latino voters, particularly in Nevada, where the senator formerly resided, and lend some polish to his administration.
Rubio has Kellyanne Conway, another powerful person in his team, in addition to Hannity and Trump's dinner companions.
Eight years ago, Trump's previous 2016 campaign manager was instrumental in the choice of then-Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, and she still advises the campaign on matters concerning debate preparation and abortion policy.
Over the last year, Conway and Trump have had many dinners on the Mar-a-Lago patio, during which Conway has argued that Rubio should be given serious consideration as a presidential candidate, according to several people with knowledge of the discussions.
An inquiry for comment from Hannity was not answered. Conway told CNN that Trump should choose someone "who can help him win, help him govern, who can be ready on day one," even if she refrained from expressing her preference for Rubio.
She has also gone public with her arguments. Conway has been publicly pushing for months for Trump to take into consideration a running mate who could aid in his ability to win over non-White voters. "It is evident that having Byron Donalds, Marco Rubio, Ben Carson, and Tim Scott on the ticket may aid in the current situation. which, according to several significant surveys, is a shift in support for President Trump among the Democratic Party's core supporters," she said in an April interview with The Washington Post.
In a rant against Trump's selection process published in February, Conway also made three references to Rubio in an opinion piece for The New York Times. In that piece, she also mentioned Donalds and Scott by name. Conway has also confided in Trump and other members of his inner circle that she believes Scott would be a strong vice president; however, Trump associates contend that she emphasizes Rubio more often.
Conway attended a summit hosted by Scott on Wednesday in Washington, D.C., along with high-profile donors including Marc Andreessen, Brian Hook, and Bill Ackman, though not all of them are endorsing Scott for vice president. Another example of influential voices seeking to sway the outcome is the recent statement made by one of the contributors, hedge fund billionaire Ken Griffin, that he was "going to wait to see who (Trump) picks as his VP candidate" before choosing whether to give to the former president's third presidential run.
Griffin supported Rubio's failed 2016 presidential campaign. Griffin moved his company Citadel to Miami a few years ago and owns a property in South Florida. A strong opponent of Trump, he contributed $5 million to super PACs that supported Haley this election season before she withdrew.
From "Hillbilly Elegy" to a favorite of the far right
Even though Rubio might have the backing of the donor class, Vance has gained significant traction among Trump's far-right supporters.
The new senator frequently appears on Steve Bannon's War Room podcast. Bannon is a former Trump advisor who will be sentenced to prison for contempt of Congress next month. Earlier this year, Bannon indicated that Vance and his political organization were the "nerve center" of Trump's movement in an interview with Politico. He also suggested that the author of "Hillbilly Elegy" could be the St. Paul to Trump's Jesus.
Bannon informed the publication, "You know, Jesus played the small rooms until St. Paul came around." "St. Paul's fervor was necessary to elevate Jesus to a prominent position."
Additionally, Bannon has been a ferocious supporter of Vance behind the scenes. He told CNN that he has personally encouraged Vance to join Trump's allies.
In a contentious GOP primary in 2022, Trump Jr. assisted in mobilizing support for Vance's Senate race and has shown a desire for his father's running mate.
In January, Donald Trump Jr. told Newsmax, "I'd love to see a J.D. Vance." "You truly require a fighter,"
CNN was informed by two people familiar with the meetings that Tucker Carlson, the banished Fox News pundit who now broadcasts his own podcast, has privately pushed Trump to take Vance into consideration as well.
Trump Jr.'s close friend Carlson described Vance as "by far the smartest and the deepest of any (senator) I've ever met" in an interview with Politico. CNN tried to get in touch with Carlson but couldn't.
The less well-known governor
Some are surprised that Burgum is still in the running, but many Trump supporters frequently comment on how good-looking the wealthy governor of North Dakota is. Pence was dubbed "straight out of central casting" by Trump once, and it seems Burgum is benefiting from that.
He has also profited from a flurry of good press that Murdoch's news empire has bestowed upon the former businessman who is now a red state leader. In his native North Dakota, Burgum operated a software company as well as a real estate development company. His success in the private sector contributed to his wealth, which he used to finance his unsuccessful bid this cycle for the Republican nomination against Trump.
Under the heading "Gov. Doug Burgum is Trump's best choice for VP, but Sen. Marco Rubio's a strong runner-up," an editorial appeared in the New York Post in June. The editorial board of the Wall Street Journal urged Trump to take a look at a few "outside-the-Beltway" choices in May. Burgum "would be an adult in White House councils," the board stated in its letter.
The article said, "He understood markets and global economic competition and was a successful entrepreneur." "While Mr. Trump lacks flair, he needs to grow up."
A request for comment was not answered by Murdoch's News Corp.
Despite being relatively unknown and from a tiny state, several people close to Trump believe Burgum has a good chance of winning the ticket. Trump's senior advisors are quite concerned about that, as they have not let the outgoing president control the process in the past.
"He doesn't have to be defending the opinions of other people; he should have someone who isn't a distraction or a subtraction," Conway stated. "President Trump shouldn't have to defend the scandals or remarks of other people."
For a while, when Trump was losing against President Joe Biden in the money wars, Burgum's riches might have been an advantage. However, that advantage has been lessened by the recent flood of money into the campaign as a result of Trump's fundraising frenzy and criminal convictions.
The bundler declared, "The campaign is exceptionally well-funded." We're not in need of a sugar daddy.
