Thread: The 5 people most likely to be Donald Trump’s vice president

The 5 people most likely to be Donald Trump’s vice president

By Chris Cillizza April 29

The Fix on Donald Trump's vice presidential picks
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With Donald Trump the clear front-runner in the Republican presidential primary, The Washington Post's Chris Cillizza says these are the five people the business mogul might pick as his running mate if he clinches the nomination. (Sarah Parnass/The Washington Post)

Donald Trump's victories in a series of Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states over the past two weeks have made one thing clear: He is the clear favorite for the Republican presidential nomination.

Which raises the question: Who is he going to pick as his vice presidential nominee?

The short answer: No one knows. Trump relishes being unpredictable, so trying to game out how this most unconventional of politicians will make his mind up is a bit of a guessing game. Add to that the fact that Trump's inner circle remains, largely, devoid of establishment types, and you quickly get into a situation where the people talking don't know much and the people who do know aren't talking.

Trump himself has been open about the lack of thought he has put into the process. "I just don't want to think about it right now," he said of the veepstakes following his five-state sweep on Tuesday night.

That's never stopped me before, though -- and it won't stop me now! Below the five people most likely to wind up as Trump's second-in-command, ranked in the order of likelihood. Caveat: These rankings can and will change. (Check out Hillary Clinton's VP rankings here.)

5. Marco Rubio: Yes, there was that whole "Little Marco" thing. But if Ben Carson can make peace with Trump, then anything can happen. Rubio is clearly in search of a next step in his political career, and while most insiders raise questions about whether he would accept the vice-presidential nomination, it's still hard for me to imagine anyone turning it down. Rubio could help Trump with outreach to establishment Republicans and in Florida. As a Cuban American, he also might be able to blunt some of Trump's sharpest edges on immigration and avoid an electoral disaster in the Hispanic community.
4. John Kasich: Trump has gone on offense against "1-for-41 Kasich" of late, but in general, these two have been on (relatively) friendly terms throughout the race. Kasich would represent an olive branch -- of sorts -- from Trump to the establishment and might carry the sort of résumé (member of Congress, Midwestern governor) that would appeal to Trump. And Kasich, who is in the middle of his second term, might find the chance at a vice-presidential nomination -- even if it meant sharing a ticket with Trump -- impossible to resist.

3. Joni Ernst: The Republican senator from Iowa emerged as a breakout star of the 2014 midterm election with her plain-spoken populism. Ernst, like many female Republican politicians, has been critical of Trump's comments about women, which could either appeal to him or disqualify Ernst entirely. If Trump wanted to make a turning-over-a-new-leaf pick, Ernst would make a ton of sense. If Trump believes "being Trump" is the essence of his appeal, he might look askance at anyone who has crossed him. Ernst has proven she is a gifted communicator and someone who might help sell Trump to the Midwestern voter he badly needs if he wants to be competitive with Clinton.

2. Rick Scott: The Florida governor wrote a Facebook post Wednesday urging the party to rally behind Trump. "The Republican leaders in Washington did not choose him, but the Republican voters across America did choose him," Scott wrote. "The voters have spoken."

Scott has been consistently supportive of Trump for months now, endorsing him as soon as the real estate billionaire won the Sunshine State in early March. Scott's profile is also likely appealing to Trump -- a wealthy businessman who ran and beat the Republican establishment to get elected governor. Plus, he's from a big swing state.

1. Chris Christie: "I think Chris Christie is fantastic," Trump said Tuesday night as the New Jersey governor (and his wife) stood just behind him onstage. No one has risked more with his support for Trump than Christie, who has been roundly mocked and dismissed by the GOP establishment for the decision. Personality-wise, Christie and Trump seem to be an obvious match.

And Trump has said before that he would want a politician as his running mate. From a geographic/ideological standpoint, Christie doesn't add a ton to the Trump ticket. But who knows if Trump even cares?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...ice-president/

Delegates Pick the VP at a Contested Convention

@ Oops! No One Told Ted Cruz That Delegates Pick the VP at a Contested Convention (Vide

Are these all amnesty supporters?

Scott Brown was in the US Senate for 3 years.

Scott Brown was also a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives for 6 years and then the Massachusetts Senate for another 6 years.

Scott Brown was also in the US Army National Guard for 35 years, from 1979 to 2014, and rose to the level of Colonel in the JAG Unit.

Scott Brown graduated cum laude from Tufts University with a BA in history, and from Boston College Law School.

Scott Brown is the perfect Vice President for Donald Trump, he's spearheaded Veterans issues, he received an award for response to 9/11, he's an outstanding and extraordinary everyman with more talent than has been used, more courage than has been called upon, more decency than has been recognized, he's a man that's got your back, a friend and associate you can trust with your life, and loves this country every bit as much as we do.

He also has pizazz. For a $1000 to help pay for law school, he entered the Cosmopolitan Magazine's contest for America's Sexiest Man, and won. When his parents divorced, his mother had to use welfare. He was also abused at a youth camp.

Scott Brown is the perfect VP candidate for Trump. Brains, heart, military experience, legislative experience (federal and state), law degree, moderate, articulate, 2 daughters, small business experience, and the intelligence to know Trump is the One, and the first person from the Congress sitting or former, to endorse Trump because Brown knows we've got to secure our borders, stop illegal immigration and fix our trade deals.

Check him out:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Brown

Ann Coulter refers to Donald Trump as the Alpha Male, and I would agree with her.

Scott Brown is a quieter version of the same type of person, the perfect version to serve as VP.

We need a Vice President and President with this inner strength and self-confidence mixed with the common sense, intelligence and unwavering loyalty to the American People that both Trump and Brown have.

And he was 100% against amnesty and illegal immigration.

On the issues rates his votes and positions and calls him a "populist leaning conservative". Sounds like a match made in heaven for Trump VP. Union members adore him, union officials can't stand him. That's our guy! Just like Trump.

http://www.ontheissues.org/Senate/Scott_Brown.htm

Originally Posted by MW

Are these all amnesty supporters?

Since no one had a quick answer, I did some checking.

Gov. Rick Scott - Supports professional licenses for illegal to practice law and in-state tuition for illegals that attended H.S. in Florida (3 years). I think he has actually signed legislation on these two items.

Sen. Joni Ernst - Will not vote to repeal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). She does not support amnesty for adult illegals, but does support it for those that arrived as children. She has said she supports bringing a lot of the illegal immigrants forward but not granting them amnesty (whatever that means).

Marco Rubio - Known amnesty supporter.

John Kasich - Known amnesty supporter.

Chris Christie - Known amnesty supporter.

Scott Brown for VP.

Newt Gingrich Tops Trump's VP List


By John Gizzi10 May 2016

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is now the leading candidate to be tapped by Donald Trump as his running mate, a close confidante of Trump tells Newsmax.

On Tuesday, Trump told the AP that he has whittled down his choices to 5 or 6 names.

"I have a list of people that I would like," Trump revealed in his interview Tuesday.

But the name that keeps cropping up as his favorite is Gingrich, a Trump confidante tells Newsmax.

Trump has tapped former presidential contender Ben Carson to help pick his running mate. Carson said Tuesday that he is stepping down from that post to focus on the Thursday meeting between Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan. Trump also announced this week that New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie will head his transition team.

Trump is said to favor Gingrich for several reasons.

First, Trump recognizes he is a Washington neophyte and sees in Gingrich someone who can school him in the legislative process and “make nice” with Capitol Hill.

Trump admitted to the AP he wants a running mate who can help him "with legislation, getting things through."

As Speaker, Gingrich successfully got Bill Clinton to sign legislation abolishing welfare, while agreeing to budget constraints that led to the first balanced budgets in a generation.

Trump has other reasons he is leaning toward Gingrich. He is said to personally like him. Rubio, Newsmax reported, has already been eliminated though he lobbied through surrogates for the job. Rubio has denied doing so.

Trump also finds Ohio Gov. John Kasich “kind of quirky” and not someone he resonates with, the confidante said.

Trump is apparently discarding the traditional approach of picking a running mate to provide geographic or ideological balance to his ticket. Instead he wants someone he “can live with for eight years,” the Trump source said.

This concept of a “simpatico ticket,” while rare, occurred when then-Gov. Bill Clinton of Arkansas turned to then-Sen. Al Gore of nearby Tennessee to run with him in his successful 1992 bid for president.

Though Gingrich did not endorse Trump, the Fox News commentator was an early defender of Trump in the GOP primary.

In addition, they pointed out, Gingrich helped organize a key meeting of Washington insiders for Trump that included former House Appropriations Committee Chairman Bob Livingston, R.-LA, and Heritage Foundation President and former Sen. Jim DeMint, R.-S.C.

“Donald values loyalty,” the source said, and Gingrich has been loyal.

Trump told the AP that he also is looking for a candidate who has held office and been under the public microscope.

"For the most part, they've been vetted over the last 20 years," he explained to the AP.

Gingrich has had such vetting, and survived a bitter, though unsuccessful run for president in 2012 against Mitt Romney.

Gingrich is also considered one of the best communicators in the party, and Trump is placing great emphasis on who can go toe-to-toe against Hillary Clinton’s running mate in upcoming debates.

Trump’s camp also is also said to be worried that his move to the center, already underway, may alienate conservative voters.

Gingrich remains a popular “Reaganite” – and could re-assure these voters if Trump takes positions not in line with party orthodoxy, the source said.

Newsmax queried Gingrich if he has been in discussions with the Trump campaign about the VP slot.

He offered a terse email reply: "No."

http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/new.../10/id/728194/

I would no more vote for Trump with Rubio as VP than if Rubio were the nominee himself. Anybody who would include Rubio as a natural choice for Trump's VP still isn't getting it. Ditto for Cruz, of course.

The author of the article, Chris Cilliza is an idiot. I don't think Trump is considering any of those people he listed. Why would he?

No Cruz, No Bush, No Rubio,

No "cupcake" Kasich

No "cry baby" Lindsay Graham