United States | Trump’s vice-presidential game is accelerating – loyalty is especially important in the election

Speculation Donald Trump’s of the vice-presidential candidate are accelerating when the US presidential election is less than half a year away. Trump, who is trying to return to the presidency, will announce his decision in July, and many Republican politicians are competing for his favor.

Doctor of research Oscar Winberg The University of Turku’s John Morton Center says that according to studies, the importance of the vice-presidential candidate in the elections is quite small. However, the selection of a candidate receives a lot of publicity because it is usually the first major decision of a presidential candidate.

Bloomberg reported at the beginning of the month that Trump’s strongest candidates are senators Tim Scott, Marco Rubio and JD Vance and the governor of North Dakota Doug Burgum.

Winberg also brings up a congressman as an alternative Elise Stefanik too and the governor of Arkansas by Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

In the past, the governor of South Dakota was also among the top candidates Kristi Noem. However, he reportedly lost his popularity in Trump’s eyes after he said that he had shot his young dog, which had failed to be trained as a hunting dog.

Axios reported on Saturday that the Trump campaign is considering Nikki Haley, who was Trump’s strongest opponent in the Republican primaries. However, Trump quickly shot down the rumors and said on the Truth Social service that Haley is not under consideration.

Traditionally it has been thought that it would be good for the vice-presidential candidate to balance the qualities of the main candidate.

For example, the current president Joe Biden is an elderly white man himself and chose Horrible Harrisa Jamaican-Indian woman.

“On the other hand, balance within the Republican Party is not as important as it is for Democrats, because Republicans are a more homogeneous group,” Winberg reminds.

He thinks that loyalty means the most to Trump. Especially since Trump experienced his previous vice presidency Mike Pence having betrayed him at a crucial moment, when he did not agree to interfere with the confirmation of electoral votes in the Senate in Epiphany 2021.

Trump chose Pence as his 2016 running mate for balance, to appeal to evangelical Christians.

“Since at that time his name was not yet synonymous with the Republican Party, it was important for Trump to show that he would include a basic Republican, Christian right-approved candidate,” says Winberg.

“I think these days these considerations of balance are not so important to him, because he knows that the party is on his side.”

A delicious place

Vice President according to Winberg, the seat would be especially delicious for younger Republicans, since Trump can only be president for four more years.

“If selected as the vice presidential candidate and then win the election,” would be an extremely strong favorite to be the party’s candidate for president four years from now.

Trump’s future vice presidential candidate will be countered in the fall election campaign by Biden’s vice president Harris, who has often been considered to have remained more invisible as vice president than expected.

In the election year, Harris’s role has grown. He has been used especially as a promoter of the abortion issue and a defender of women’s rights.

“I see that his role will be quite big in the campaign. Especially since he may be better able to speak to black voters than Biden,” says Winberg.