President Trump is the Republican Occasion’s nominee for the 2024 common election all however in identify.
He swept Iowa, taking 98 of the Hawkeye State’s 99 counties, and adopted that route with a near-clean sweep of New Hampshire, sufficient to knockout each Ron DeSantis and Vivek Ramaswamy in a single fell swoop (who each endorsed President Trump) whereas placing Nikki Haley’s marketing campaign on life-support.
Because the momentum surrounding President Trump grows, at the same time as radical judges and district attorneys in states like New York and Georgia double down on their baseless political persecution of the 45th President, Republican officers are lastly catching up with the grassroots in coming to phrases with a truth they knew from day one: Donald Trump is not going to solely be the GOP nominee but additionally the 47th President of the US.
Because of this, there was a noticeable mad sprint amongst sure Republicans to offer comfortable auditions, whether or not by means of a primetime cable information spot or in a stump speech on the marketing campaign path, to make their not-so-subtle pitch for the vaunted Vice-Presidential submit.
Vivek Ramaswamy and Tim Scott, for instance, are two names typically floated by conservative pundits as potential selections. Each have been noticed alongside Trump campaigning in New Hampshire. Different rumored prospects, corresponding to Kari Lake, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Matt Gaetz, have all been seen in latest weeks campaigning with the President in states like Iowa, New Hampshire, and even Nevada – trying to maximise their facetime on the marketing campaign path and on tv to ingratiate themselves with their social gathering’s frontrunner.
Provided that the proverbial “Vice Presidential race” seems to be heating up, I believed I might use the chance to supply some ideas on a number of names individuals have been discussing as potential VP materials.
None of those names are a part of any official checklist – and this isn’t coming from somebody who works for the Trump marketing campaign. I also needs to reiterate that I’ve made no secrets and techniques about who I feel could be President Trump’s splendid running-mate: Tucker Carlson, a topic I’ve tackled at fairly good size already here and here.
Tucker is once more included on the checklist of names under, after he not too long ago delivered remarks earlier than a jam-packed Hockey area in Edmonton, Canada in entrance of an viewers of 1000’s of devoted followers.
A number of names on this checklist are in all probability not even in competition however have solely been listed as a result of they’ve stirred up the rumor mill, and because of this have many individuals speaking, rightly or wrongly, about their probabilities of being chosen.
It also needs to be pressured that this checklist is much from being exhaustive: there may be the probability that a number of notable omissions – corresponding to Kristi Noem – may nicely be sturdy contenders and have better odds than even among the names listed right here.
All that mentioned, these names routinely come up in political chatter and so, are value discussing – for good and sick – no matter their standing as respectable contenders or longshots:
Vivek Ramaswamy
Vivek Ramaswamy has gone from an unknown Massive Pharma bro to MAGA luminary after operating, in his personal phrases, as considered one of simply two America First candidates within the 2024 presidential election. Whereas his longshot marketing campaign ended as anticipated – Ramaswamy dropped out after a disappointing fourth place displaying in Iowa, after which shortly endorsed Donald Trump afterward – he has demonstrated a dedication to the trigger and ideas of America First, and to date, seems genuinely fascinated by righting the course of this nation.
Some issues stay about his background, his fortune, and even his citizenship – including to the quirks that generally irritated the Trump base, corresponding to overtalking at occasions and making absurd statements right here and there, like his proclamation he made earlier than dropping out that solely he might win the final election.
All that mentioned, nevertheless, of the America First-adjacent politicos and personalities not named Trump, I might in all probability rank Ramaswamy third, behind Kari Lake and Tucker Carlson, in my general MAGA energy rankings.
The truth that he was a self-made billionaire earlier than reaching 40 is spectacular; the truth that he relentlessly spurns the catechism of wokeism and offshoot insurance policies like DEI and affirmative motion and has witheringly indicted them for what they’re: anti-white, reverse racism – is daring and admirable.
His youth and elite training background (Harvard undergrad; Yale Regulation Faculty) accords him the advantages of being extra in tune with the magnitude of those issues, and the way they’ve eroded away the American Dream for youthful generations (notably younger males of legacy American households), than most, if not just about all, different main social gathering candidates.
Maybe most promising, in contrast to the doom and gloom mentality of so many on the Proper, one which appears irrevocably in thrall to a fetishistic dogma that America’s decline is irreversible – Ramaswamy has, possibly naively, bucked the development and supplied a radical various: one that’s constructive, vibrant, youthful, and audaciously asserts that slightly than being a geriatric affected person, the republic is merely going by means of the rising pains of adolescence, nonetheless being a younger nation in spite of everything in comparison with remainder of the Western world.
Ramaswamy’s latest marketing campaign appearances on behalf of President Trump, and his endorsement of Kari Lake for the Arizona Senate, means that his coronary heart is dedicated to this motion for the long term – even if he also happens to be growing his already considerable fortune in the process.
He’s additionally right to frequently invoke the ideas of the American Revolution and proclaim them as pure truths – truths that appear so radical when extrapolated to our age of mass lies and deception.
All of which is to say: Ramaswamy may in the end show himself a worthy voice within the motion Trump launched. Maybe he isn’t to be entrusted simply but with the lofty submit of second in command however may over time show himself to be a dependable, and highly effective, truthteller – one that might rise above the trenchant mediocrity of our ruling class and turn out to be a mainstay within the motion for hopefully a few years to return.
If it have been as much as me, I feel Ramaswamy’s skills ought to first be examined at arm’s size– Ronna McDaniel’s alternative as RNC Chair could be a really perfect match. Such a submit may very well be the last word telltale of whether or not he can flip a corporation, now struggling mightily to lift cash, round – and, by extension, use the affect of that submit to get state Republican leaders, a lot of whom solely help the trigger out of political comfort, in lockstep with MAGA, which should turn out to be the institution for the GOP if each social gathering and nation are to have any hope in any respect of surviving past the following 4 years of President Trump’s subsequent time period.
Lee Zeldin
Lee Zeldin has the longest odds of all of the candidates listed right here – and for good purpose. The previous Lengthy Island congressman who went down in defeat to Kathy Hochul within the 2022 gubernatorial race has been making an obnoxiously sturdy push for the VP function, notably showing on CNN to make his not-so-subtle pitch throughout the New Hampshire main – and utilizing social media to garner up extra publicity, allegedly feeding pro-Trump mouthpieces with the baseless narrative that he had already been picked to be Trump’s VP.
Final week, the rumor mill went into overdrive when former Trump administration official, Sebastian Gorka, strongly hinted that Zeldin had been given the nod, a rumor that was additional entertained by different massive conservative influencers, such as Pat Bet-David.
Nonetheless, it was placed on a screeching halt when longtime Trump confidante, Roger Stone, tweeted “Lee Zeldin has not been picked as Trump’s VP. Anyone who says otherwise has no idea what he’s talking about.”
Whereas the four-term congressman previously of NY-01 is an attention-grabbing prospect, it isn’t apparent why, if Trump was in search of a New Yorker, he would faucet Zeldin over Stefanik, who served in congress for an extended length, has been a way more outspoken Trump ally all through the years, and ascended to a a lot larger place within the Home of Representatives, as Chair of the Home Republican Convention, than Zeldin ever did.
Trump additionally likes selecting winners with expertise of their pedigrees: whereas no one will deny Zeldin’s spectacular displaying within the 2022 gubernatorial race, he did come out 6.4 factors quick to one of the crucial unpopular governors within the nation.
In that race, Zeldin was not even essentially the most MAGA candidate – a label which belonged to Andrew Giuliani. Whereas Zeldin claims to be loyal to Trump on the marketing campaign path, some issues come up about his true convictions.
For instance, whereas on the marketing campaign path for governor he reportedly instructed donors on Wall Avenue – the identical donors who later backed Ron DeSantis and at present, Nikki Haley for president – that whereas he didn’t certify Biden’s election outcomes, he by no means mentioned the outcomes of the 2020 race have been “illegitimate.”
Extra regarding is the truth that Zeldin’s former Lengthy Island delegation stays stridently anti-Trump: a bunch that features RINO congressmen Mike Lawler, Andrew Garbarino, and Anthony D’Esposito, with whom Zeldin reportedly retains pleasant and shut relations. (One other holdout, Nick Lalota, solely not too long ago begrudgingly endorsed Donald Trump on January 20th.)
Although Zeldin is now not in elected workplace, being one of the crucial highly effective and recognizable Republicans in New York State, one would assume that he will surely have some sway in getting these Lengthy Island RINOs in keeping with the MAGA motion.
To dates, none of those Republicans have endorsed President Trump; Zeldin, for his half, has not referred to as any of them out for it. As not too long ago as late final yr, former Lengthy Island congressman Peter King, who, regardless of being out of Congress for a number of years now, stays a kingmaker on Lengthy Island, said flatly that Nikki Haley would be the Republican nominee.
Zeldin has not denounced King, or any of the Republican holdouts within the New York delegation who’ve nonetheless not endorsed President Trump – and reportedly are conspiring actively behind the scenes to govern the New York State Presidential delegate course of, which is totally managed by State Occasion leaders, to cut back the variety of delegates Trump receives on the conference.
Furthermore, the anti-Trump sentiment of downstate social gathering leaders goes past federal lawmakers: each the Nassau County and Suffolk County chairmen, whom Zeldin has previously had heat relations with, stay shamelessly anti-Trump, and have solely backed candidates with equally shameless Trump Derangement Syndrome, corresponding to Mazi Pilip, the previous liberal Democrat and IDF officer, now making a bid for George Santos’ former seat in NY-03.
Pilip has said that she gained’t again Trump if he’s convicted of against the law, mimicking liberal speaking heads on CNN and MSNBC by declaring “nobody is above the law.”
As a substitute of specializing in how one can maximize Trump’s delegates and, for that matter, registered voters throughout New York States, State Occasion Leaders are focusing all their time and assets on getting one other RINO re-elected to Congress, one whose public statements clarify that she is not going to be loyal to President Trump if she is elected to workplace.
Lengthy Island Republican voters, in each Nassau and Suffolk County, are extraordinarily pro-Trump: so, the concept Occasion officers would nominate one other RINO, slightly than a MAGA warrior to signify the pursuits of their constituents, deserves to be referred to as out within the strongest of phrases – one thing that Zeldin has refused to do.
Moderately than denouncing the indictments for the political prosecutions they so blatantly are, a view shared by the overwhelming majority of normal Republican voters all all through New York State, however particularly Lengthy Island, Republicans officers statewide have been deluded by TDS, prioritizing their political pursuits above their constituents.
As each social gathering institutions actually run New York State to the bottom, Zeldin, whose voice may very well be a robust counterforce, has been blatantly lacking in motion.
He has not referred to as out New York Republican State Committee Chairman, Ed Cox, who appears to be giving the anti-Trump marching orders for the remainder of the state; nor has he tried to mobilize downstate Republicans to rally behind Donald Trump.
He has not even, to my data, filed an ethics criticism towards any of the judges, D.A.’s, legal professional common, or governor for flagrantly violating the Structure with their political hatchet job towards the 45th President, a lot as Elise Stefanik has so valiantly accomplished.
All of which is to say, as far as Lee Zeldin represents himself to the general public as a Trump loyalist and MAGA warrior, his file is left extraordinarily wanting. Zeldin completely should again up his phrases with real-world actions, in any other case threat being seen as one other grifter, merely capitalizing on the Trump identify when politically expedient to take action, whereas failing to make use of the affect of his bully pulpit to get corrupt social gathering leaders in downstate New York in verify.
As a substitute of soft-campaigning for VP, Zeldin’s skills could be higher allotted cleansing up his personal yard. He ought to use the leverage he has to assist pressure out Republican Occasion hacks throughout New York State from their posts, and work on making a broader coalition that’s robustly and proudly pro-MAGA and pro-Donald Trump to reclaim these state social gathering places of work, and at last get the institution in keeping with the grassroots, whose pursuits are being flouted by those that now maintain the reins of energy in New York.
Elise Stefanik
Elise Stefanik might be one other longshot candidate, although maybe not as a lot of a longshot as Lee Zeldin. The present Home Republican Convention Chair has represented New York’s 21st district, a largely rural area that features a giant chunk of land in northwestern New York, since 2015 – and has shortly ascended the ranks as one of the crucial highly effective voices in Congress, not only for the MAGA motion, however amongst Republicans general.
She has additionally confirmed to be a prolific fundraiser for the 45th President; her team raised over $5 million in the fourth quarter of 2023 alone, and has hosted a number of fundraisers at Trump properties throughout New York State, corresponding to his Westchester Golf Membership, over the previous couple of years.
Stefanik, in contrast to so many inside her social gathering – and particularly inside the New York State Republican delegation – was one of many first elected Republicans – in state or federal workplace – to endorse Trump and was the earliest to take action among the many high-ranking congressional leaders, when she backed the 45th President approach again in November 2022.
The feat is seen as all of the extra exceptional provided that some members inside her personal state social gathering delegation, corresponding to Mike Lawler, Andrew Garbarino, and Anthony D’Esposito, are stubbornly holding out by means of the current day, despite the fact that the race has dwindled to 2 candidates – and considered one of them, Nikki Haley, has no viable pathway to the presidency.
Whereas it could be argued that Stefanik may very well be doing extra to help Trump – corresponding to rallying her state coalition, a lot of whom stay holdouts, and specifically, placing the general public stress on Ed Cox, the anti-Trump New York State Occasion kingpin, to both get in line or retire – she has at the least taken measures which have gone above and past the place feckless New York lawmakers would by no means dare to go, corresponding to lodging an ethics complaint towards Choose Engoron, who’s presiding over President Trump’s sham civil trial that threatens to dissolve his complete enterprise empire, for abusing his energy and operating roughshod over constitutional due course of.
However given the extent of the opposition she faces, Stefanik has accomplished an admirable job in staying true to the MAGA social gathering line: she didn’t vote to certify the outcomes of the 2020 presidential election, and, in contrast to Zeldin, continues to take care of that election’s outcomes were rife with fraud and corruption, rendering them in a phrase that Zeldin refuses to make use of: illegitimate.
That makes Stefanik a far worthy alternative amongst New York Republicans for the vice-presidential workplace: President Trump appears to genuinely admire the loyalty she has displayed through the years, too.
For that, she ought to be awarded – maybe not with the second-in-command submit, however on the naked minimal with a cupboard place, possibly, for all her efforts through the years.
Rand Paul
Rand Paul made waves early final month when he made the considerably weird resolution to, slightly than endorse one of many Republican main contenders, as a substitute launch a “Never Nikki” web site.
In tandem with the web site’s launch, which is dedicated to elevating consciousness about how harmful the popular candidate of Washington’s military-industrial complicated could be, Senator Paul declared, “As I look over the GOP candidates for President, I don’t yet have a first choice. But I do know one thing: count me in as #NeverNikki!”
Within the video accompanying the announcement, he raised issues about Haley’s incapacity to understand a elementary precept of James Madison: the significance of preserving our constitutional proper to privateness in an age of mass surveillance, a proper that Haley has brazenly professed expendable within the curiosity of “natural security” – which has been used to justify every part from the failed Iraq invasion to the Patriot Act and the gradual encroachment on particular person liberties that has entered overdrive below Biden.
On the time Senator Paul launched the video, DeSantis and Ramaswamy had not but dropped out. However the unlikely occasion of Senator Paul crossing the aisle and supporting Robert Kennedy, for whom he had some constructive phrases, the one non-Haley candidate left within the race is Donald Trump.
Thus, by default, Senator Paul will probably quickly be endorsing the 45th President’s re-election marketing campaign. Senator Paul has been a longstanding voice in the US Senate for particular person liberty and non-interventionism.
Whereas not an isolationist, the Kentucky Senator has pressured warning the place his colleagues went headlong, with out a second thought, in favor of navy intervention in locations just like the Ukraine and the Center East.
He’s a uncommon voice of pragmatism in an area of hawks, which places him greater than ever in lockstep along with his war-weary countrymen, who would like our priorities change from abroad to the homeland, which has been ravaged by inflation, deindustrialization, open borders, excessive crime and lawlessness, and opioid dependancy.
The American persons are vying for a dramatic course correction, and Senator Paul has typically been a uncommon voice of purpose, if an occasional thorn within the facet of MAGA on points like border safety owing to his libertarian streak, misplaced in a sea of chaos.
In that regard, amongst members of the Senate, few others outpace what Senator Paul can deliver to the desk in resume and temperament for the Vice-Presidential submit.
He has expertise the place different populist-adjacent Senators, corresponding to J.D. Vance and Josh Hawley, are comparatively missing – and has been round lengthy sufficient to reveal his general loyalty to the MAGA trigger, even when his cussed independence on occasion places him at odds with each the motion and President Trump on a couple of key points like immigration and policing.
All in all, amongst members of Congress, few others might match the bundle the junior senator from The Bluegrass State, a submit Senator Paul has held since 2011, brings to the desk, and thus could be a worthy decide for Vice President.
Ben Carson
Ben Carson, the mild-mannered Housing and City Growth Secretary below President Trump’s first time period, will get the excellence of being one of many few cupboard secretaries who has remained loyal to Trump by means of his complete tenure in workplace, together with by means of the rigged 2020 election, and subsequent impeachments and political prosecution by the Biden deep state.
That may be a distinction that rightly deserves reward, and on the naked minimal, the reward of returning to the following Trump administration in a cupboard submit. Carson’s steadfast loyalty, and amiable character places him at sharp odds with a lot of the remainder of Washington, a cutthroat metropolis replete with politicians who say one factor in public whereas knifing these to whom they profess loyalty behind closed doorways.
Carson has been pro-Trump and pro-MAGA for the reason that very starting, and continues to tow a socially conservative, fiscally accountable agenda in media and marketing campaign path appearances with the 45th President.
Carson has been reliable, even when his demeanor at occasions could also be critiqued for being too serene in an age that requires a point of ruthlessness so as to get something accomplished.
The nice fear about Carson isn’t a lot that he could be disloyal – he hits the nail on the top on the important thing points – election integrity, immigration, an America First financial coverage – however that, if he have been to ascend to the Presidency, that he would lack the temperament and skillset for the nation’s highest submit.
In any case, when requested in a latest interview about a very powerful requirement for the Vice-Presidential workplace, President Trump mentioned somebody who was able to finishing up the duties of President of the US.
If Trump, nevertheless, is in search of somebody who will stay loyal – and never, for instance, attempt to plot to ascertain himself because the 45th President’s successor, Carson often is the man, as a result of he isn’t somebody who appears extremely formidable for larger workplace, and should, in that regard, serve dutifully as second-in-command after which quietly retire into the sundown as soon as his time period his full.
Tucker Carlson
Tucker Carlson has been my top pick for Vice-President as a result of on each field for a really perfect alternative – loyalty, faithfulness to the trigger, succession – he checks them off in spades.
Carlson not too long ago hosted a talking occasion in Canada, the place he offered out a complete Hockey area, demonstrating a stardom that mirrors that of the 45th President, one which has not diminished within the months since he left his vaunted place at Fox Information, the place he was essentially the most watched present throughout cable information by important margins.
Since founding his personal media firm, Tucker has continued to make the rounds throughout each the US, and the world over, interviewing international leaders and diplomats, whereas spotlighting necessary political and social developments in nations, like Spain, Canada, and Hungary, which have had related populist uprisings towards more and more tyrannical ruling lessons very similar to our personal.
Throughout the Trump period, Carlson underwent a noticeable shift in ideology – changing into decisively much less libertarian, for which he had been recognized previously, and much more populist and nationalist, very similar to the 45th President.
Although some could chalk this as much as opportunism, Carlson has demonstrated repeatedly a fearlessness in tackling points, corresponding to navy non-intervention, the specter of a weaponized nationwide safety state, and the deprivation of liberties by the federal authorities at dwelling, that few, if another politicians are prepared to say out loud.
In that regard, he can supply – along with fealty to the 45th President’s agenda, safety towards their mutual enemies – who would probably assume twice earlier than pulling any methods on Trump, understanding who the second-in-command is.
Carlson’s lack of formal political expertise is much less of a legal responsibility these days and should even be a power in a sure respect. The truth that Trump himself already has 4 years below his belt serving as President mitigates these issues of inexperience – which, in comparison with Biden’s 50+ years of expertise in Washington, ought to be thought-about an asset.
Outsiders are preferable to insiders, and with Carlson, there may be far much less of a menace than choosing a longtime politician that he would select a workers of Washington hacks, who may threaten to undermine the White Home from inside – like what Pence’s workers did throughout the first Trump time period.
Carlson has spent many years in Washington, D.C.; he understands how the Swamp works in addition to most seasoned political professionals. It’s this expertise that makes his critiques of the blob that rather more impactful.
Although Trump could also be aptly reticent to pair that a lot star energy – between himself and Carlson – collectively on a single ticket, I feel doing so wouldn’t solely ship a strong message to the DC Swamp that they imply enterprise, however furthermore, create essentially the most enticing possibility for peculiar voters – a lot of whom may be swayed simply by the fancies of celeb, as we now have not too long ago seen with the Taylor Swift fiasco.
The Democrats are undoubtedly going to make use of their connections in Hollywood and the media to woo, particularly younger voters, with the intrigues of popular culture.
A Trump ticket that responds to that decision with a strong pairing of two political and media superstars could also be what is required to offset that inherent drawback Republicans usually have with the mainstream tradition and gin up the requisite widespread help to make Trump’s victory in November a convincing one. That’s the reason, arms down, Tucker Carlson would make your best option for Vice President, on this creator’s humble opinion.
Paul Ingrassia is a Constitutional Scholar; a two-time Claremont Fellow, and is on the Board of Advisors of the New York Younger Republican Membership and the Italian American Civil Rights League. He writes a widely read Substack that is regularly posted on Truth Social by President Trump. Comply with him on X @PaulIngrassia, Substack, Truth Social, Instagram, and Rumble.
