President Donald Trump is getting closer to naming his running mate for November and has now narrowed his list down to just three names, according to a new report.
Speculation over Trump’s vice president choice is reaching a fever pitch after his commanding Super Tuesday victory all but guaranteed a rematch with Joe Biden in November.
A Republican strategist claims that Trump is down to three senators: J.D. Vance (R-OH), Katie Britt (R-AL), and Marco Rubio (R-FL).
The Washington Times cited Ryan Girdusky, a prominent Republican consultant and commentator.
Rubio was rivals with Trump during the 2016 primary.
However, he has since become a Trump cheerleader.
The same is true of J.D. Vance.
The freshman senator underwent a dramatic evolution from a Never Trump commentator to one of the fieriest supporters the 45th president has in Washington D.C.
Vance gave a speech at this year’s CPAC, which was seen by many as an audition of sorts for VP hopefuls.
Like Vance, Britt is also a freshman senator.
She was chosen by the Republican Party to give the GOP’s rebuttal to Biden’s State of the Union on Thursday night.
Although Britt’s tone was criticized by some as awkward and exaggerated, Trump gave her a positive review on Truth Social.
“Katie Britt was a GREAT contrast to an Angry, and obviously very Disturbed, ‘President’,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“She was compassionate and caring, especially concerning Women and Women’s Issues.”
The Washington Times cited Britt’s “good looks, intelligence, and deep understanding of the Senate” as factors in the Trump team’s thinking.
Many Republicans believe Britt, a 42-year-old mother, should appeal to women voters.
However, Girdusky’s shortlist was immediately dismissed as “trash” by Chris LaCivita, a top Trump campaign adviser.
“That is trash,” LaCivita said.
“Anyone who claims that they know or that they have heard is a damn liar.”
Some other names that have been mentioned include Senator Tim Scott (R-SC), South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, and Vivek Ramaswamy, who ran in the primary against Trump.
Trump has cast a wide net, even floating his most bitter rival for much of the primary, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, at a recent event.
But DeSantis, who gave Trump a lukewarm endorsement, immediately shut down the idea of joining his campaign.
Nikki Haley, Trump’s last primary challenger, ended her longshot campaign on Tuesday.
However, she declined to endorse Trump.
Instead, Haley challenged him to win back her supporters.
Haley has dismissed VP speculation, and so has Trump.
Trump noted that Haley lacks “presidential timber.”
During last month’s Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) 2024, a straw poll revealed that attendees selected Ramaswamy and Noem as their top choices for Trump’s vice president.
Noem and Ramaswamy have previously been linked to Trump’s “short list” of VP candidates, as Slay News previously reported.
