Trump doesn’t like sharing fame and attention. But as a presidential candidate he needs a number two. Who could that be?
Two old, unpopular men are fighting a duel for the White House: Republican former President Donald Trump and Democratic incumbent Joe Biden are running against each other in the presidential election in November. At the moment everything looks like a neck-and-neck race. It has been shown in the past that the selection of the running mate has little influence on the actual election. But this year things could be different. Because of the old age of the two, the deputy is particularly in focus – he or she will take over in the event of death. So it’s not entirely unimportant who it will be.
The 81-year-old Biden continues to rely on his deputy Kamala Harris as his so-called running mate, who also has poor popularity ratings. The 77-year-old Trump has not yet made a decision. For months, various names have been circulating about who Trump could bring to his side. It remains to be seen whether he will proceed strategically or whether he would prefer to choose someone who is absolutely loyal to him.
In 2016, he bet on Mike Pence, who was expected to score particularly well with religious voters. He stood loyally behind his boss for four years. It was only when Pence refused to make Trump president in 2021, contrary to the election results when the votes in Congress were certified, that the two became opponents. Will Trump again choose someone who could stab him in the back if in doubt?
Observers assume that Trump is unlikely to vote for someone who is a white old man like him. Trump is particularly popular among white, older, very conservative voters with lower levels of education. The Republican could try to appeal to people of color with his running mate. This is how people who are not perceived as white and have experienced racism describe themselves. But Trump has also scared off some more moderate women from the suburbs with his aggressive rhetoric – they are an important group of voters. Who are the possible candidates?
Possible candidates
The obvious one – Elise Stefanik: The 39-year-old congresswoman from the US state of New York is part of the leadership of her parliamentary group. In 2014, at the age of 30, she was the youngest woman elected to the House of Representatives. Stefanik was once one of the more moderate members of the party. There can be no more talk of that now. Stefanik says that if she had been vice president at the time, she would not have confirmed the results of the 2020 presidential election in Congress in order to prevent Joe Biden from becoming US president. She is considered a young talent in the party.
The Evangelical – Tim Scott: The 58-year-old congressman from South Carolina was one of the Republican candidates for the presidential nomination. The evangelical Christian ultimately backed Trump and publicly sympathized with the ex-president. He thanks him and regularly praises the black politician with words of praise. Scott is particularly well received by voters with conservative religious values. He once stated that he was still a virgin. He has now presented his fiancée to the public.
The press secretary – Sarah Huckabee Sanders: The arch-conservative governor of Arkansas is a loyal Trump companion. She aggressively represented its policies as a spokeswoman in the White House and made a name for herself across the country. The now 41-year-old had several violent clashes with the press and at one point almost completely stopped regular press conferences. It is particularly popular among arch-conservatives.
The election denier – Kari Lake: The former TV journalist wanted to become governor of Arizona in 2022 – and lost. To this day she does not admit defeat and instead attracts attention with lies and sharp rhetoric. The 54-year-old is completely loyal to Trump and now wants to join the Senate for the Republicans. She has not yet proven that she can win elections.
The side changer – Tulsi Gabbard: The 42-year-old wanted to become the Democratic presidential candidate in 2020, but had no chance of securing the nomination. The former soldier from Hawaii had to defend herself against allegations that her candidacy was supported by Russia. She has now changed camps and is firmly behind Trump. The politician, who was born in American Samoa, accuses the Democrats of warmongering.
The anti-abortion activist – Kristi Noem: The 52-year-old is governor of South Dakota. After the end of abortion rights in the USA, she caused a stir with a TV interview. “Every single life is precious,” the Republican replied when asked whether an underage rape victim should have the child. “I don’t believe a tragic situation should be perpetuated by another tragedy.” With their hard line on abortion, the Republicans cannot necessarily score points with more moderates.
The agitator – Vivek Ramaswamy: The 38-year-old entrepreneur also wanted to move into the White House for the Republicans. During the televised presidential debates, he lied until the bars were bent and was particularly harsh on his rival Nikki Haley, who at one point replied: “You’re just scum.” Ramaswamy dropped out of the race after the first Iowa caucuses in January and immediately threw his support behind Trump. The son of Indian immigrants advertises that he is not a traditional politician. This could be well received by Trump, who once began his election campaign as a political outsider.
The radicals – Marjorie Taylor Greene: The 49-year-old from the state of Georgia has been in Congress since 2021 and is known for harsh rhetoric and the spread of conspiracy theories. The ultra-right is constantly provoking. While she was once an outsider in her group, she is now one of the central faces of the Republicans in the House of Representatives. She is in no way inferior to Trump when it comes to aggressive rhetoric – it could scare away more moderate voters.
The Author – JD Vance: Vance once celebrated success with his memoirs “Hillbilly Elegy”. The bestseller provides insight into a layer that helped make Trump’s election victory possible in 2016. Today the 39-year-old author sits in the Senate for the state of Ohio. At the Munich Security Conference in February, he acted as Trump’s mouthpiece and demanded, above all, that Germany invest more in its armed forces. However, he may not be well known to the general American public.
Former competitor – Nikki Haley: For a long time she was Trump’s only remaining opponent in the race for candidacy. After her poor performance on the big pre-election day Super Tuesday, Trump’s former US ambassador to the United Nations finally gave up. The 52-year-old recently fired sharp shots at Trump – making her very unpopular in his camp. So far she has not supported Trump in the election campaign. She could appeal to a more moderate electorate, but with a backwards role as Trump’s running mate, she is also likely to alienate her own supporters.
The Established – Greg Abbott: The 66-year-old governor of Texas is a hardliner. Especially with his policy on the US southern border with Mexico, the Republican, who sits in a wheelchair, recently confronted the Biden administration and appeared together with Trump. On the national stage he might seem too bland.
The Unlikely – Ron DeSantis: DeSantis and Trump were bitter opponents when the 45-year-old governor wanted to become the Republican presidential candidate. DeSantis has since given up and thrown his support behind Trump. The relationship between Trump and DeSantis is probably not the best after the many insults that have been thrown at each other. DeSantis has also already said he doesn’t want to be Trump’s running mate. His name is still circulating. But it’s hard to imagine Trump and DeSantis getting their act together again.
The Joker – XXX: Trump is unpredictable. It’s not out of the question that he’ll choose someone who no one really has on their radar – and surprise everyone.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
