It is increasingly clear that Donald Trump is eyeing three finalists in the veepstakes version of “The Apprentice,” with the winner to be announced next month: Gov. Doug Burgum and Sens. Marco Rubio and J.D. Vance.
To us, North Dakota’s Burgum stands out. He’s sharp as a tack, a real doer when it comes to business deals (reinforcing Trump’s brand) and knows his way around the tech world. He ran several successful companies before ably leading his state — the only one of the three with real executive experience.
And his views largely overlap with Trump’s: On abortion, for example, he’s fully down with letting states decide the rules for themselves; he’s every bit as much a hawk on the border and certainly recognizes the threats from China and Iran, which he directly blames for Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack.
As governor of a key energy state, Burgum would be a great asset in reversing President Joe Biden’s war on fossil fuels and revving up the U.S. economy.
His calm demeanor would also help reassure voters nervous about Trump’s own unpredictability, particularly in swing states and the ‘burbs.
He also demands a certain respect from even the most rabid of leftwing ideologues and Burgum’s personal wealth could mean more cash for the campaign. Plus, Trump says he wants a No. 2 with a “central casting” veep appearance; Burgum perfectly fits that bill — and shows no sign he’d ever try to upstage the No. 1 guy by, say, starting his own presidential campaign right after the inauguration.
We’d put Rubio next: At 53, he’s an experienced political hand, having represented Florida in the Senate for nearly 14 years and serving as Florida’s House speaker before that. And he’s plainly learned a few lessons from his own 2016 run. He was already breaking with stale GOP orthodoxy then, and has continued to prioritize the interests of the working-class voters that Trump’s own magic so speaks to.
Plus, he’s got a photogenic family and, as the son of Cuban immigrants, would likely add to the ticket’s appeal to Hispanic voters.
And he has solid foreign-policy views that mesh well with Trump’s: Remember that as president Trump actually notched major diplomatic victories, from nudging much of NATO to start paying its share to fostering the Mideast-peace Abraham Accords.
Vance, by contrast, sought to suspend all U.S. aid to Ukraine, and his opposition to abortion goes well past Trump’s. The former Marine turned tech venture capitalist and author is yet to complete even two years of public service.
Fair enough that at 39 he’s still evolving, but he makes us think of what Ann Coulter might be like if she’d gone into elective politics: plenty bright, solidly right — but a bit erratic.
Young and ambitious, he seems the most likely to compete with Trump for attention, destabilizing the campaign.
Of course, it’s the top of the ticket that matters most, and only Trump can decide who’ll he’ll work with best.
— New York Post
