Editor’s note: This is Profile Series Potential Vice Presidential Candidate for 2024 Republican Presidential Candidate Donald Trump
The race to choose Donald Trump’s running mate for November took a major step forward last week with accelerated vetting of several candidates, but political insiders familiar with the presidential election say there’s one person on the former president’s shortlist who Democrats are most “fearful about.”
The Trump campaign recently began the next phase of its vice presidential search, requesting documents from several candidates, including Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who has been a staunch supporter of the former president since running against him in the 2016 Republican presidential primary.
“Rubio has become one of the strongest America First voices in the Senate, has a great television presence and is a household name who can effectively criticize Biden’s failed policies,” a senior Republican strategist told Fox News Digital.
Insiders predict Trump’s running mate poses ‘existential threat’ to key areas of Biden support
Left to right: Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, Florida Senator Marco Rubio, Arkansas Governor Sarah Sanders, and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum. (Getty Images)
“Trump was extremely well-received by Latino voters and adding Rubio would further strengthen that and could mean the end of Biden,” they said, adding that “Rubio is a solid, safe choice with great potential.”
Matt Wolking, a Republican strategist who served as deputy communications director for Trump’s 2020 presidential campaign, described Rubio as “an effective, disciplined communicator who rarely makes mistakes”.
He noted that Rubio is the only candidate who speaks a foreign language, and his Spanish skills would help the Trump campaign reach Hispanic voters in many states where they could be more competitive, including Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona, Virginia, New York and Florida.
“He has demonstrated the ability to win a slightly higher percentage of white voters in Florida in 2022 than Trump won in 2020, while also appealing to suburban and independent voters who are key to Trump’s success, and he is the only candidate from a true battleground state,” Wolking said.
“By choosing Rubio as his vice president, Trump would balance the field, something no other candidate could do. For this reason, Rubio’s selection is what many Democrats fear most,” he said, referring to Rubio’s election as the Republican candidate in May’s presidential election. Vanity Fair article I will pinpoint some of those concerns specifically.
Insiders predict the “strong” Republican would be a big boost as President Trump’s running mate.
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) speaks to supporters at an election night party on November 8, 2022, in Miami, Florida. (Saul Martinez/Getty Images)
Wolking added that Rubio’s experience as leader of the Senate Intelligence Committee will be “valuable” to Trump in “reining in rogue agencies.”
A source close to the Trump campaign echoed the other two commenters that Rubio’s Latino roots will enhance the campaign’s ability to connect with Hispanic voters, but noted there are some downsides to Rubio’s possible selection.
“I don’t know if he’s 100 percent a Trump supporter, but I can say that he hasn’t always been a big supporter of Trump, and I think that’s a bit of a concern for Trump followers, and that could be an issue,” the source said.
They noted Rubio’s past criticism of Trump, including calling him “reckless and dangerous” during his rivalry with him in 2016 and saying the former president was “partly to blame for what happened” during the Jan. 6 protests at the U.S. Capitol.
“The other question is whether Rubio is the right person to carry the Republican flag beyond 2028,” the source said. “I think he’s a good guy, don’t get me wrong, I think he’s been a great senator and very effective, and I think he’d be more than good enough to be vice president, but it does make you wonder a little bit about his suitability as a nominee and whether he’s a staunch Trump supporter.”
Experts reveal major ‘flaw’ in Trump’s VP pick: ‘No surprise element’
Former U.S. President Donald Trump listens to Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) speak during a rally at the Miami-Dade County Fair & Exposition on November 6, 2022 in Miami, Florida. (Joe Raedl/Getty Images)
But Wolking said the downside to Rubio’s election would not be “particularly significant”, although he noted that “when it comes to foreign policy, Rubio tends to be more hawkish than Trump”.
He also Twelfth AmendmentThe law bars electors from voting for president and vice president if they live in the same state – both Rubio and Trump live in Florida.
“That’s more likely to be an obstacle than a real impediment to adding him to the shortlist,” Wolking said.
A source familiar with Rubio told Fox News that the senator performed well in the 2016 primaries in states such as Virginia and Minnesota, suggesting that his election could give Trump a boost in states seen as potential Republican targets.
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The source also noted that Rubio’s legislative record, his performance in the two Senate re-election debates since running for president, his communication skills and his ability to “get an audience going” all make him a good candidate for the Republican nomination.
Other big names being floated as possible candidates to join Trump on the GOP nomination include House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Sanders, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott.
From left to right: House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem and South Carolina Governor Tim Scott, all of whom are running as former President Donald Trump’s running mate. (Getty Images)
Trump has suggested he will likely wait until July. Republican National Convention He will announce his selection in Milwaukee.
Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
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