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Surprise Name Reportedly Moving Up The Ranks On President Trump’s VP Shortlist…

As November draws nearer, the suspense is building as to who President Trump will choose as his running mate.

According to several recent reports, Trump’s VP shortlist is still pretty long.

In an interview with Newsmax earlier this month, President Trump himself estimated there are about 15 candidates he is seriously considering.

Here are some names commonly being floated as Trump’s choice for vice president, in no particular order:

  • Rep. Elise Stefanik
  • Ben Carson
  • Sen. Tim Scott
  • Gov. Kristi Noem
  • Rep. Byron Donalds
  • Rep. Tulsi Gabbard
  • Kari Lake
  • Sen. J.D. Vance
  • Vivek Ramaswamy
  • Tucker Carlson

But, a new name has recently emerged and seems to be gaining traction…

And it may come as a bit of a surprise.

Can you guess who?

That’s right: Sen. Marco Rubio.

An NBC News report originally published on March 13 seems to be the first to bring up Marco Rubio’s name as a potential contender:

In addition to Scott, the second source said, Trump has been asking about where other potential vice presidential contenders stand on abortion, specifically naming Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida and Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida.

More on this report here:

President Trump’s “Top Concern” For VP Pick Unveiled In New Report – TWO Potential Candidates Ruled Out?

Since then, several reports have claimed that President Trump's interest in Rubio has grown stronger.

CNN reported on Friday:

Some close to the former president were most surprised by how seriously Trump is considering Rubio, the Florida senator who clashed heavily with him during the 2016 GOP presidential primary.

After announcing his third presidential bid, Trump privately expressed anger toward Rubio for not endorsing him early on, often pointing out to advisers that he had held an event for the senator in Miami ahead of his last election. Rubio endorsed Trump earlier this year.

However, Trump’s consideration of Rubio is “very much real,” as one source with direct knowledge of the discussions told CNN.

“He likes Rubio because he’s Hispanic, young, a good speaker, natural charisma,” a senior Trump adviser said.

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Related article Rubio dismisses concerns about Trump’s NATO remarks as backlash mounts

The former president recently went as far as to acknowledge there would be a delegate issue with selecting Rubio because the two are both residents of Florida, a second source briefed on the matter said, something some of Trump’s senior advisers also pointed out.

There is no law preventing a president and vice president of the US being from the same state. However, Article II of the Constitution prevents electors in each state from voting for two people from the same state.

The rule would be even more relevant in a close election, and the Trump campaign currently predicts that the 2024 race will be close, according to conversations with multiple Trump advisers.

Responding to reports about his name being floated, Rubio told conservative radio host Glenn Beck that “anybody who gets a chance to serve as vice president of the United States should consider that an honor.”

The senator added: “I have never spoken either to President Trump or anybody on his campaign about this or anybody else that they’re considering for vice president.”

NBC News also wrote on Wednesday:

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., is moving up the list of former President Donald Trump's potential vice presidential picks, according to six people familiar with the presumptive Republican nominee's search for a running mate.

Rubio is hardly alone in the field; the cast of hopefuls for the job is large enough to fill an entire season of "The Apprentice." Trump estimated the number at 15 in a interview March 13 with Newsmax, and one of the sources said Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson and Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., are among those in the mix.

"The list is long, and it's extremely early in any kind of process," a Trump adviser said. "No one has been directly reached out to yet, and I do not expect that for some time."

Two sources familiar with planning said there is a growing consensus around a June announcement of a vice presidential pick — at least a month before the convention — but there are no firm plans yet.

But Trump's apparent seriousness about Rubio, 52, a third-term senator, hints at his priorities and presents an intriguing set of potential complications.

Rubio is young and telegenic, he has 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 Latino person on a major-party presidential ticket.

In other words, Rubio, the Miami-born son of working-class Cuban immigrants, looks good on paper and on television — a powerful combination for Trump.

"It's pretty clear from Trump's orbit that Rubio is in play," said a veteran Florida GOP operative. "It makes sense because he checks almost every box if they can get past both being from Florida."

And, Marco Rubio himself has chimed in on the rumors, saying he would be "honored" to be chosen as President Trump's running mate.

NATIONAL POLL: Who Is Your Top Choice For Trump's VP?

Per The New York Post:

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) said Thursday he would be “honored” to join former President Donald Trump as his running mate, amid a report indicating he may be a possible VP option for the presumptive GOP nominee.

“I think anybody who would be offered that should be honored, but I’ve never spoken to anybody in the Trump world about it,” Rubio told NBC News.

The Florida Republican is one of the many options being floated in Trump world as a possible contender for the No. 2 slot — but his name has been mentioned more and more recently, the outlet reported Wednesday.

Now, since both President Trump and Marco Rubio are from Florida, running on the same ballot would pose some challenges.

But, it's not impossible.

The Miami-Herald gave some details on this issue:

Kevin Wagner, a political science professor at Florida Atlantic University, said that there’s actually nothing in the Constitution preventing presidential and vice presidential candidates who reside in the same state from running together.

He acknowledged that the language in the 12th Amendment was “a bit unclear” but noted that the prohibition applies only to electors casting both their presidential and vice presidential votes for two candidates from the same state as the elector.

“Contrary to popular opinion, it’s not actually unconstitutional for two persons from the same state to run together,” Wagner said.

But, he noted, “it does create a little bit of a problem when the electoral college casts its vote.”

“(The electors) aren’t allowed to vote for two people from the same state that they come from, so hypothetically you couldn’t vote for both Mr. Trump and Mr. Rubio, or at least the Florida electors couldn’t,” Wagner said. “If a hypothetical ticket of Trump-Rubio won by enough of a margin though it wouldn’t matter.”

What do you think?

Do you believe the reports?

Is Trump actually serious about Marco Rubio -- and, if so, would Marco Rubio be a good pick for VP?

Social media users are torn over the controversial rumored candidate...

According to these latest reports on Trump's rumored VP shortlist, President Trump is also informally targeting an early-summer announcement of his running mate -- before the Republican convention.

So, we still probably have a few months of speculation left....

Who do you think would make the best choice for Trump's running mate?


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