Bloomberg News is reporting that Trump’s short list for potential running mates has been narrowed down to four people and that they will be at an donor retreat this weekend in Palm Beach.
The names are: Ohio Senator JD Vance, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, Florida Senator Marco Rubio and South Carolina Senator Tim Scott.
Here’s more from Bloomberg:
Donald Trump is sharpening his focus on a possible running mate by taking a page from his days hosting reality show “The Apprentice” and parading the top contenders for the slot in front of rich benefactors this weekend.
Contestants jockeyed for a job with his business empire for over a decade on the NBC show, with Trump pitting them against each other for his favor. An exclusive donor retreat at the Four Seasons in Palm Beach this week promises a similar vibe — drawing hundreds of deep-pocketed GOP backers as well as allies eyeing the No. 2 spot on the Republican presidential ticket.
The spectacle comes as Trump is narrowing his gaze on a handful of potential running mates: Ohio Senator JD Vance, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, Florida Senator Marco Rubio and South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, according to people familiar with the deliberations as recently as this week.
The weekend donor retreat gives Trump an opportunity to test-run his top tier of candidates — Burgum, Scott, Vance and Rubio — all of whom are slated to attend. Representatives for those individuals did not immediately respond to requests to comment or declined to comment.
Other potential VP candidates, including South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem and Representatives Elise Stefanik of New York and Byron Donalds of Florida, are also listed on an invitation for the event.
Trump has said he won’t decide until closer to the time of the RNC, which is in July.
But if this indeed the short list, I think the decision will end up being between Scott and Rubio, with Rubio having the edge. Scott could certainly help Trump with the black vote and Rubio with the Hispanic vote. But Rubio is a very talented communicator, more so than Scott, and that’s crucial in a presidential election.
As far as the other two go, Burgum is a snoozefest and I just don’t think Vance brings much to the table other than puppy dog loyalty. I just don’t see either of them winning.