Donald Trump has embarked on his quadrennial spectacle, akin to a reality show, where he appears to play a game of “Celebrity Who Wants to be a Vice President?”
Since former Republican contenders Tim Scott, Vivek Ramaswamy, and Doug Burgum shared the stage with him in New Hampshire, Trump seems to have transformed his rallies into a series of auditions while teasing new potential candidates during interviews.
The atmosphere is a curious blend of ‘The Apprentice’ mixed with a guessing game.
Could figures like Rep. Elise Stefanik, Nikki Haley, or Gov. Kristi Noem be the key to swaying the elusive suburban female voters?
Or might Sen. Tim Scott or Rep. Byron Donalds be instrumental in expanding his appeal within the African-American community?
To test the impact of VP picks, J.L. Partners polled 1000 voters on their voting intentions. The results show how a Trump-Rubio ticket helps the former president slightly more than others
Former President Donald Trump pictured with Vivek Ramaswamy at his primary night watch party in Nashua, New Hampshire. Ramawamy is often floated as a potential VP pick
Among the latest and somewhat surprising names being considered is Sen. Marco Rubio, as Trump insiders indicate the former president is giving serious thought to choosing a Hispanic running mate.
Or what about Vivek Ramaswamy to bring hype-man energy to the ticket?
To test who adds what to the presidential ticket J.L. Partners asked 1000 likely voters for their thoughts on VP picks to run against Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
The results are close but could offer food for thought to Trump as he mulls his decision (if he has not made it already).
They show that Rubio offers the best prospect of peeling Democrats away from Biden and Harris, while Ramaswamy—whose vibe is Trump with ADHD—fares worst.
Trump wins by one point when Rubio, Ramaswamy, and Scott are on the ticket. But he loses with Stefanik, Haley or Noem.
With Ramaswamy, some 88 percent of Republicans say they would vote for the Trump ticket.
But that falls to 81 percent for Stefanik.
With Rubio, known as a more centrist Republican than Trump with a deep interest in foreign policy, the ticket would pick off six points of Democratic support. Ramaswamy fares worst, and would likely help drive Democratic turnout against Trump, according to the results.
The poll shows that Vivek Ramaswamy helps most with turning out Republicans
Sen. Marco Rubio has been mentioned as a possible running mate inside Trump’s inner circle
Rep. Elise Stefanik (left) and even former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who has not endorsed Trump since dropping out the presidential race, are other possibles
Trump supporters who gathered in Wilmington, North Carolina, on Saturday for a rally hurriedly postponed as storm clouds rolled in, said they did not have strong feelings.
So long as their man is on the ticket, they said his choice of running mate would make little difference.
Bob Sloan, 52, said he trusted Trump to make the right decision. Rubio, he added, seemed trustworthy, ‘Up to a point.’
‘He’s a politician,’ the port electrician explained. ‘I don’t trust politicians. That’s why I like Trump. You have to run the country like a business.’
One complication for Rubio is that he and Trump both live in Florida. The former president has told associates that Rubio would have to move in order not to run foul of constitutional rules, and that may be difficult for a father with a family and who has made his political life in Florida.
Trump speaks to North Dakota Governor Kristi Noem during a Buckeye Values PAC Rally in Vandalia, Ohio, last month
J.L. Partners polled 1000 likely voters from March 20 to 24 via landline, cellphone, SMS and apps. The results carry a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percent
The overall results show Donald Trump maintains his four-point lead over Joe Biden, with a little over seven months to the November 5 presidential election
James Johnson, cofounder of J.L. Partners, which conducted the poll, said one of the main considerations for Trump would be how well the VP pick polled with the public.
‘Though the numbers are tight, our ballot tests with different VP candidates show that different options give a range of paths for Trump, some more optimal than others,’ he said.
‘Ramaswamy, for example, is best to shore up support amongst Republicans and Independents alike, though with Trump’s dominance in the Republican base, there might not be much benefit to the former.’
Rubio and Scott, he added, were best placed to reach out to Democrats.
‘The VP candidate with the widest reach does appear to be Marco Rubio: He does best amongst non-graduates, women, and over-65s, the latter two groups being key defence areas for Republicans in the coming election,’ he said.
