Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is seeking a "Goldilocks" candidate and "fighter" as his vice president pick, the Guardian reported Monday, citing sources connected to the former president.
It's an attribute that has been articulated before. Donald Trump Jr. is on record saying he wants his father to pick a "fighter" as his running mate, "someone who can take those hits" and punch back.
The report comes a month before the Republican National Convention, when Trump has indicated he'll announce his pick.
According to the Guardian, Trump's just right candidate would be "strong but loyal, in tune with MAGA but not over-rehearsed, telegenic but not likely to outshine him."
"In short, he wants someone who is everything Mike Pence wasn't," the Trump ally told the Guardian, referring to Trump's vice president in 2016.
According to the Guardian and Politico, among other news outlets, eight candidates are on the list, with three in the top tier:
- Doug Burgum, outgoing governor of North Dakota
- Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio
- Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.
Trump's campaign also sent vetting materials to Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., it was reported this month.
In Rubio, however, a constitutional roadblock would force one of them to relocate. The 12th Amendment says the president and his vice president "shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves."
Others mentioned as prospective running mates include Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., and Dr. Ben Carson, who was secretary of Housing and Urban Development in the first Trump administration.
Trump told Newsmax this month that "unbelievable people" are under consideration.
"It's very interesting, I thought Tim Scott didn't run as good a race as he's capable of running for himself," Trump said. "But as a surrogate for me, he's unbelievable. He's been incredible. Gov. Burgum from North Dakota has been incredible. Marco Rubio has been great. J.D. Vance has been great. We've had so many great people out there — Ben Carson — so many great people."
Trump again told Newsmax over the weekend that the pick has to be "somebody that will be a great president."
"If you look back in history, you'll see virtually no vice president that made that much of a difference in terms of the election," Trump told Newsmax in Detroit on Saturday. "The most important thing you can do is get somebody that will be a great president, just in case it should be needed."