The countdown until President Donald Trump reveals his vice presidential pick is on, and the speculation about who it will be is ramping up.
On Wednesday, The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board weighed in on a list of Republicans rumored to be under consideration for a spot on the ticket.
“The polls in the presidential race have tightened since Donald Trump’s conviction in New York, which raises the stakes for Mr. Trump in Thursday’s debate and for his choice of a running mate. Both will have to appeal to the swing voters who have been moving back to President Biden,” Journal said. “Mr. Trump’s rallies are for his MAGA base, but those voters aren’t up for grabs. They’d turn out for him in a hurricane. The reason Mr. Trump lost in 2020, and the reason he isn’t leading by more now, is because many independents and suburban Republicans don’t want four more years of constant drama and political division.”
The op-ed suggested such Republicans like the former president’s policies but “they don’t trust his character and they dislike his Fight Club persona.”
Additionally, it argued the debate and Trump’s vice presidential pick are “opportunities to reassure” voters who are not “preoccupied with politics.”
Warning of a “trap” for Trump, the Journal noted Biden and the debate moderators may “try to goad [him] by focusing on the Jan. 6 riot, his felony conviction in New York, his claim that the election was stolen, and other low Trump moments.”
“Mr. Trump may be tempted to take the bait. The former President likes to brawl and scrap, which is fine if he’s talking about inflation, chaos at the border, taxes, and the march of American adversaries on Mr. Biden’s watch. But Mr. Biden wants the debate to be about whether 2020 was stolen or if the rioters who fought with police are ‘hostages,’ as Mr. Trump has said,” it added.
Turning back to the matter of his running mate, the Journal recalled it believed former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley would help broaden the former president’s appeal, but admitted he does not seem too eager to embrace her after her primary challenge.
The op-ed then highlighted Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) as someone who could “signal to college-educated Republicans with doubts about Mr. Trump that he wants to expand the GOP. Many voters would think: That’s interesting. He chose someone who clearly could be a future President.”
Focusing on the list that has been circulating of potential running mates, including Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, the Journal said, “If that’s the field, Mr. Burgum is the best man.”
“The Governor has executive experience and was a highly successful tech CEO. At Microsoft, which bought his company, he managed to work well with Steve Ballmer, which isn’t easy,”the op-ed argued”Mr. Burgum would be loyal to Mr. Trump, while also unafraid to offer hard advice or speak an unhappy truth when the moment demands it. His global business experience gives him an edge in world affairs, especially China.”
In terms of Rubio and Vance, the Journal said they ” bring much less to the ticket.” In a brutal assessment, it called the Ohio senator a “young man in a seeming hurry to be Don Jr.”
“On foreign policy, Mr. Vance was a political opportunist in opposing military aid to Ukraine with arguments that ignore the menacing axis of Russia, Iran and China. He opposes Nippon Steel’s offer for U.S. Steel in fealty to union leaders, though Japanese investment is a plus for American workers,” the op-ed continued.
Of Rubio, the Journal wrote, “The union label also applies to Mr. Rubio, who has remade himself from a tea party insurgent in 2010 into an advocate of industrial policy and redistributing income through the tax code. He voted against aid to Ukraine despite a career of hawkish foreign policy stances.”
Finally, it asked, “Would either Senator tell Mr. Trump the truth in a crisis?”
Trump has said he has decided “in my mind” who he will pick for his running mate, and that they will be at the upcoming presidential debate.
