Posted on 03/20/2024 10:12:52 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Donald Trump is seriously considering Florida Senator Marco Rubio as his running mate, according to a new report.
NBC revealed on Thursday that it had spoken with "six people familiar with the presumptive Republican nominee's search for a 2024 running mate" and that Rubio is now a serious contender.
The outlet reported:
"The list is long, and it's extremely early in any kind of process," one Trump adviser said. "No one has been directly reached out to yet, and I do not expect that for some time."
But Trump's apparent seriousness about Rubio, a 52-year-old, third-term senator, hints at the former president's priorities and presents an intriguing set of potential complications.
Rubio is young and telegenic, he's spent more time in federal office than Vice President Kamala Harris, and, at a time when Trump is bullish on his chances of winning over Latino voters, he would be the first non-white person ever to make a Republican presidential ticket.
In other words, the Miami-born son of working-class Cuban immigrants looks good on paper and on television — a powerful combination for Trump.
Trump is also apparently interested in Rubio's fundraising ability:
The Trump team plans to test out top contenders on the campaign trail — auditions of a sort — at rallies and events in the coming months. They will also assess a necessary skill that Rubio has shown: the ability to raise money. He collected nearly $50 million for his 2016 presidential run.
However, the report also outlined possible impediments to Rubio joining the ticket, including a constitutional rule that prohibits electors from voting for a president and vice president from their own state:
It's not clear whether Rubio would be interested in moving in order to run for vice president, and he has raised the Constitution as a possible impediment — without fully ruling out the No. 2 slot — before.
"We’re both from the same state, so that’s probably not going to work that way,” Rubio said when he was asked about joining a Trump ticket on Fox News in January.
...
There's a scenario being discussed in Florida political circles in which Rubio could resign his Senate seat in order to move to another state and join the ticket. That would give a big plum to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Trump's vanquished rival from this year's primary, in the form of a Senate appointment to hand out.
There is no doubt that Rubio would be a smart choice. A smooth and accomplished political performer, he previously played an important role advising Trump on matters pertaining to Latin America. A fluent Spanish speaker, Rubio could also offer Trump possible inroads with Hispanic communities and help lock down voters who have also fled communist oppression.
Yet Rubio has not always been so popular within MAGA circles due to his hawkish views on foreign policy and reputation as more of an establishment figure. The two men clashed during the 2016 presidential election cycle, with Trump mocking Rubio's size and propensity to sweat on the debate stage. However, Rubio endorsed Trump's campaign and the two men quickly buried the hatchet when Trump entered the Oval Office.
If Trump ultimately chooses someone else, he may still have a position for Rubio within his administration. Just this week, Semafor reported that Rubio and fellow Republican Senators Bill Hagerty and Tom Cotton are under consideration as members of his National Security Council.
Really, really a bad idea.
FWIW, I will lose respect for FReeper who believes this swill...
Who would the deep state hate even more than Trump? That’s who he needs to pick if he doesn’t want to get assassinated.
Alex Jones it is then.
...any FReeper...
One of them would have to move.
Rubio: are you in favor of deporting every single illegal?
If not, you are not in favor of the rule of law.
Not necessarily a good pick.
I think he would be a fine pick. He’s been much more conservative in recent years.
NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!!!!!!!!!
Trump is going to pick an Hispanic, the fastest growing ethnicity in America. Soon to be the majority ethnicity. Locking up Hispanics keeps the GOP relevant an electable.
Tulsi Gabbard is a rabid, radical leftist. If Trump picks her, I will bail out.
She’s:
Pro gun control
Pro reparations
Pro citizenship for Dreamers
Pro abortion
Anti electoral college
Anti nuclear power
Anti fossil fuels
She’s a democrat through and through. Why does her name even come up in these conversations? It’s beyond me!
I don’t think most Hispanics consider Cubans Hispanic.
I don’t know a single Cuban who says he\she is Hispanic, they’re Cuban! I’ve had Puerto Ricans tell me the same thing! They’re Puerto Rican not Hispanic!
Not at a chance. One of the main reasons Trump is in Florida is to avoid state income taxes, which is smart, and he’s not about to give that up either, iMO. The article doesn’t even mention that as an option, that I saw. Instead, it suggested Rubio might resign his Senate seat and move so he could run as VP. I quit reading at that point, LOL, so maybe it mentioned Trump later, but either way this is not about to happen for either of them.
Another absolute disaster almost as bad as Tim Scott.
If Trump wants to get assassinated by the Deep State in less than a year from taking office, picking one of these Deep State RINOs is the way to go.
Isn’t Rubio from Florida and therefore constitutionally disallowed?
I highly doubt it. Do you really want him a heartbeat from the presidency?
God, please no.
Foam parties at Number One Observatory Circle!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.