Trump’s veep auditions morph into perp walk

How far will Trump’s politics fall? The search for a Republican vice presidential candidate has devolved into violence.

Donald Trump is a master of manipulation.he is facing prison time Criticizing the judge in the Stormy Daniels hush money case is considered contempt of court. So he asked the flying monkeys to do his dirty work.

Some people will do anything to advance their political career.Four Republican Veep wannabes showed up. Trump’s trial He bends the knee to Trump and kicks Judge Juan Marchan’s ass. Just like in an episode of “The Apprentice,” Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Florida Rep. Byron Donald, and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy are all facing cover-up charges. He showed up at the audition for the accused man. An affair with an adult film actress.

I’m sure they each earned hefty points from Trump for showing up to court to lose their dignity.

But being his running mate is not without risks. Trump administration crisis office official Mike Stigler tells ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos that a MAGA mob blocked the certification of officially elected President-elect Joe Biden on January 6, 2021. He said former Vice President Mike Pence was nearly killed when he tried to do so.

The issue of President Trump’s running mate and the need for a female running mate has recently risen to the surface of the MAGA swamp for a variety of reasons.

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem was the frontrunner for yes, but she As a result of her persistent pursuit of the job, her candidacy failed..

In the wake of Trump’s sordid trial testimony, some Republicans fear that revelations about his affair with Stormy Daniels will further revolt from female voters who are already supporting President Biden. There are growing concerns that this may be the case.

Nikki Haley, former South Carolina governor and President Trump’s ambassador to the United Nations, said: continue to last. On Tuesday, she won 20% of the presidential primary vote in Maryland, two months after dropping out of her race. Trump has ended her consistent support, but her voters are a key target for Biden’s reelection bid.

She is one of thousands of cast members who could be considered for the No. 2 spot on President Trump’s ticket.

There will be a lot of interest in Mr. Trump’s choice of running mate. First, there is no dramatic change in the situation on the other side of the aisle, with the Democratic duo of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris potentially running again.

And there are also concerns about Trump, who turns 78 in June, and his mental health, an issue that came up again recently when he upset the former tennis great at a rally in New Jersey. . jimmy conners With former President Jimmy Carter.

On top of that, his legal problems could jeopardize his political future. If he is convicted of election interference in Georgia or fraud in the Daniels hush-money scandal in New York City, the Republican National Committee may have to decide whether he can run for president. do not have.

If Trump weren’t Trump, he’d be quick to add Haley to the ticket.his calling card in primaries His anger and belligerent nature seem to be incomprehensible to MAGA followers. But his anger doesn’t play well with floating voters who are tired of his vitriol.

Haley is the perfect cure. Although she shares President Trump’s extremist positions on abortion and immigration, she practices them with Southern charm and a smile. She’s an extremist like Trump, but not as exaggerated.

Her tenacity during the Republican campaign, despite her harsh criticism of Trump, shows that she has an independent personality, even if it helped Trump win. Even so, that’s not what the president wants for his vice presidential candidate.

After his ugly breakup with Pence, Trump will likely choose a running mate who will follow him to the depths of hell and beyond.

South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott is this month’s President Trump. His racist comments might be tempered if the ticket included an African-American. The senator has not yet appeared in court, but he has criticized Trump’s prosecution from afar.

But a woman’s nomination would likely pay more dividends for the Republican favorite son.

Whether MAGA nations like it or not, women dominate modern cultureThe Barbie movies are a smash hit, Taylor Swift has taken pop culture by storm, Beyoncé recently topped the music charts in Trump-friendly counties, plus the media attention on basketball star Kaitlyn Clark and growing interest in the WNBA. President Trump is ignoring this “Year of the Woman” at his own peril.

Trump faces a huge problem gender gap. Choosing a woman could minimize the hostility female voters show toward the former president.

Member of Parliament Elise Stefanik The congressman from upstate New York is the current favorite in the Republican veep stakes. She was nominated for this award simply because she beat out two Ivy League presidents, which is a big deal for Trump’s base of anti-establishment voters without college degrees. At 39 years old, she is young enough to regularly add oomph to defendants’ tickets. fall asleep during the trial.

She seems interested in the job.She showed respect for Trump and deleted her recent 2021 message Statement criticizing the hostile takeover of the Capitol By an angry pro-Trump mob. She also suggested that she would not have signed the certification of the 2020 electoral vote count like Mr. Pence. She’s sure President Trump noticed her eagerness to please her.

If a female vice presidential candidate is chosen, the media will be in an uproar. The selection will lead to a historic showdown between the two women in the nationally televised vice presidential debate, likely after the Republican National Convention in late July or early August.

But once that discussion is over, the vice presidential nominee will likely be elbowed aside because Trump doesn’t like to be in the spotlight with anyone, much less a woman.

brad bannon He is a Democratic pollster, CEO of Bannon Communications Research, and host of a popular progressive podcast about power, politics, and policy. Deadline DC with Brad Bannon.