Republicans who once criticized former President Donald Trump are on the presumptive Republican nominees’ short-list for vice president ahead of the Republican National Convention next week.
Trump’s campaign reportedly sent informational requests to eight GOP leaders: Ohio U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, South Carolina U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, Florida U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, New York U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, Florida U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, Arkansas U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson.
Trump has mentioned several of those same names during public appearances in recent weeks, teasing at his pick before the convention. Some of the people on the list were previously critical of Trump.
In 2016, Vance said he was a “never-Trump guy” in an interview with Charlie Rose. Last July, Burgum said he wouldn’t do business with Trump. Rubio previously called Trump a “con artist” who would split the GOP. That was before Rubio dropped his presidential bid in 2016 and endorsed Trump.
All three have been full of praise for Trump more recently. Many have spoken alongside Trump, including Rubio, who joined Trump at the former president’s Doral resort in Miami on Tuesday.
Traditionally, nominees from both parties use their vice presidential pick to add excitement to the ticket or to shore up support in vulnerable states. But Trump has been known to break from tradition.
Trump has previously said he will announce his pick at the Republican National Convention, which kicks off next week in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
The vice president is second in the line of succession to the president. The Constitution names the vice president as the president of the Senate. The vice president has the power to break a tie vote in the Senate and formally presides over the receiving and counting of electoral ballots cast in presidential elections.
Over the years, the position has been labeled everything from a do-nothing dead-end political job to a stepping stone for political aspirants.
