Ultra-rich, loyal, radical (but not too much)… Who will be Trump’s future running mate? – L’Express

“He’s going to be a great vice president.” Donald Trump remained rather laconic on Fox News this Monday regarding the identity of his running mate for the American presidential election. The Republican candidate did, however, give a few clues: he needs “someone who will help us get elected,” but also someone who would be “capable of doing an excellent job as president” (meaning ready to succeed him in the event of force majeure).

However, the Republican presidential candidate will have to speed up: his choice should be made official before the Republican convention in Milwaukee next week, during which the duo that Donald Trump will form with his running mate will be officially crowned by the party. There is no shortage of rumors. Three names have so far emerged from the fray: the experienced Marco Rubio, the ideologue JD Vance and the wealthy Doug Burgum. But other figures, such as Elise Stefanik or Tim Cotton, are also still lying in wait and could well get the ticket.

Marco Rubio, the choice of experience

Marco Rubio is far from being an unknown figure in American politics. A senator from Florida since 2011, he notably ran in the 2015 Republican primary on a more moderate and almost anti-Trump line, going so far as to call the latter a “crook” with “small hands”. Before finally having to withdraw from the race, swept up like everyone else by the Trumpist wave.

Among the advantages cited by the American press, this political experience could precisely tip the balance in favor of a Trump-Rubio ticket. The son of Cuban immigrants, the one Trump has long liked to call “Little Marco” could be a powerful figure to attract the Spanish-speaking electorate in some swing states – states that often swing between Democrats and Republicans. He would also bring some credibility on international issues, having been an influential member of the Senate Foreign Relations and Intelligence Committees.

But will he be accepted by his own camp? Because even if Marco Rubio has largely calmed his relations with Donald Trump in recent years – they were again seen together at a rally in Florida this week – the hatchet is not completely buried with a large part of the Republican electorate. The latter still have a grudge against him for a 2013 immigration reform project, much less radical than the Trumpist line. In 2016, Marco Rubio had also very clearly explained that he refused to be Donald Trump’s running mate. Resentment can sometimes be tenacious, especially with Donald Trump.

JD Vance, the Trumpist ideology

James David Vance has been a senator from Ohio since 2023. Aged 39, his meteoric rise in American conservative circles is largely due to his bestseller published in 2016, Hillbilly Elegy. A story that mixes autobiography and sociological analysis on the America of the neglected white working class, a theme widely exploited by Donald Trump for his election as head of the country in 2016.

At the time, however, JD Vance was far from considering Donald Trump as the long-awaited providential man. In private messages reported by the media NBC Newshe reportedly wondered whether Trump was more of a “cynical asshole like Nixon” or the “American Hitler.”

But that was before. Vance officially entered politics in the 2022 Senate race in Ohio, where he won strong support from Donald Trump. Since his election to the Senate, he has been a staunch supporter of the former US president, while some elected officials have sometimes sought to distance themselves from him. “JD Vance’s age – he will be 40 in August – could also be an asset in an election where the two oldest candidates in the history of the major parties are running,” adds the Washington Post.

However, his firm attachment to Trumpist ideology would not necessarily allow Donald Trump to broaden his electorate to undecideds and independents, which could cost him his place in a possible ticket. “JD Vance is fiercely opposed to abortion, which could increase the party’s difficulties on this issue,” also recalls the New York Timeswhile the radically anti-abortion positions of certain Republican figures had cost the Grand Old Party dearly during the 2022 mid-term elections.

Doug Burgum, the non-choice?

Doug Burgum, 67, has been governor of the state of North Dakota since 2016. A relatively anonymous figure in the United States, he ran in the Republican primary before being the first to withdraw last December and supporting Donald Trump’s candidacy.

One argument that makes him stand out is his wealth. Before politics, Burgum made his fortune in technology, notably by selling a software start-up to Microsoft for more than a billion dollars in 2001. Forbes estimates his personal nest egg at more than $100 million. He could also be a reassuring figure within the business community to convince other wealthy investors of the merits of supporting Donald Trump. An argument that could convince the Republican candidate, while the battle for dollars is inextricable from a presidential campaign in the United States.

Despite his nearly eight years as governor, his lack of national political stature could be both an advantage and a disadvantage, depending on the degree of personal embodiment that Donald Trump wants for the final months of his presidential campaign. Because one thing is certain: Doug Burgum will not be the one to overshadow the sulphurous billionaire.

Serious outsiders

While the three names cited are among the big favorites to become Donald Trump’s running mate, other Republican figures are still waiting in ambush. Byron Donalds (45 years old), elected to the House of Representatives since 2021, is one of the incarnations of the new pro-Trump generation within the party. “He is one of the few black people to hold a position within the Republicans and would add racial diversity to the program, at a time when Republicans are seeking to divert this electorate from the Democratic camp,” underlines the New York Timeswho nevertheless points out (like others) his lack of experience as a possible obstacle to this choice.

Elise Stefanik, a representative in New York State since 2015, is also one of the figures in her camp who have proven their loyalty to Donald Trump. She took on a completely different stature in the conservative camp during the hearing of three very prestigious university presidents (MIT, Harvard, Penn) on anti-Semitism following the terrorist attack of October 7 in Israel and the demonstrations on American campuses, which led to the resignation of two of them. Aged 40, this female figure could be an advantage for Donald Trump. Even if her profile as a very ardent Trumpist would not necessarily allow the Republican candidate to broaden his electorate.

Tom Cotton, a veteran of the Iraq War and senator from Arkansas since 2015, would also be a candidate likely to please Donald Trump, and his name has come up very regularly in recent weeks in the American press. As does that of Tim Scott, the only black Republican senator, very popular in his party, even if he is not among Donald Trump’s most absolute supporters. The chances of seeing Nikki Haley, the last to have opposed Donald Trump during the primary, become the running mate of the Republican candidate, on the other hand, seem much slimmer. But politics always has its share of surprises.