Florida – Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is currently contemplating who to name as his running mate for the 2024 election. The candidates rumored to be under consideration are New York Representative Elise Stefanik, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, and two Republicans from Florida, Senator Marco Rubio and Rep. Byron Donalds.
Can Trump Pick a VP from Florida
The Republicans from Florida are unlikely to be picked as Trump’s running mates if they don’t change their official residency to another state. According to the 12th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, electors in the Electoral College cannot vote for both president and vice president who are considered “inhabitants” of the same state as the electors themselves. This means that if both the presidential and vice-presidential candidates are from the same state, electors from that state could only vote for one of them. To avoid this issue, it is common practice for one of the candidates to change their official residency to another state.
For example, in the 2000 election, both George W. Bush and Dick Cheney were living in Texas, but Cheney changed his residency back to Wyoming to avoid this Electoral College conflict.
South Carolina Rep. Norman Suggests Trump’s Former Rival as his VP
Among the suggestions, Rep. Ralph Norman from South Carolina, a member of the far-right House Freedom Caucus, has proposed an unconventional candidate: former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley. According to CNN congressional reporter Manu Raju, Norman believes that selecting Haley, who served as Trump’s United Nations ambassador, would be an effective strategy to consolidate Republican votes for the upcoming election.
“[Norman] urged Trump over the weekend to pick Haley as VP to help unify the party,” Raju tweeted. “He also said that Haley should endorse Trump.”
Haley’s Previous Statements and Voter Base
After suspending her campaign, Haley indicated that Trump would have to “earn” her supporters’ votes without her endorsement. In an interview with NBC News, she expressed uncertainty about whether Trump would adhere to the U.S. Constitution if elected for a second term.
Haley’s influence remains significant within the GOP. Recent primaries in Maryland, Nebraska, and West Virginia saw roughly 20% of Republican voters still casting ballots for her, despite her campaign ending months ago. She managed to secure significant percentage of the votes in GOP primaries across several other states. In Indiana, Haley garnered 21.7% of the vote, translating to more than 128,000 votes, in Pennsylvania, she received 16.6% of the vote or over 158,000 votes, while in Florida, Nikki managed to secure 155,560 votes.
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Haley’s Holdout and Criticism from Florida Governor DeSantis
Despite most of Trump’s 2024 Republican rivals endorsing him, Haley, along with former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, remained one of the last holdouts. Haley suspended her campaign after the March 5 Super Tuesday primaries, securing only one victory in Vermont and amassing 89 delegates who will support her at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee this summer.
Trump has not aggressively pursued Haley’s supporters, assuming they will eventually align with him. He even mocked her post-campaign suspension, boasting on his Truth Social platform about “TROUNCING” his final primary opponent.
Florida Governor DeSantis criticized Nikki Haley, his former competitor for the Republican presidential nomination, for her reluctance to endorse the party’s presumptive nominee, former President Donald Trump. DeSantis also highlighted Haley’s hesitation to endorse Trump despite her prior commitment during the Republican presidential debates to support the eventual nominee.
Haley’s Support for Trump and Call for Outreach
In her recent public remarks since exiting the Republican primary, Haley announced she plans to vote for Trump, despite her criticisms of his policies and character. Speaking at the conservative Hudson Institute, she acknowledged Trump’s imperfections but described Biden as a “catastrophe.”
“So I will be voting for Trump,” Haley stated, reflecting on her decision to support the former president.
Haley emphasized the importance of Trump reaching out to her supporters. “Trump would be smart to reach out to the millions of people who voted for me and continue to support me, and not assume that they’re just going to be with him. And I genuinely hope he does that,” she said.
Past Feud and Current Stance
Earlier this year, Haley and Trump were embroiled in a bitter primary feud. Haley questioned Trump’s mental fitness and criticized his disrespect towards the military after he mocked her deployed husband and called for her donors to be barred from the MAGA camp. In February, Haley declared, “In that moment, he showed that with that kind of disrespect for the military, he’s not qualified to be the president of the United States, because I don’t trust him to protect them.”
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Despite these past conflicts, Haley’s recent endorsement of Trump and her call for unity indicate a shift towards reconciliation. This move comes at a critical time as Trump considers his running mate, and the GOP seeks to consolidate support for the general election.
While Nikki Haley extends an olive branch to Donald Trump and signals her support, it remains uncertain whether she will be his vice-presidential pick. Nonetheless, her influence and the loyalty of her voter base underscore her significance in the upcoming election, highlighting the intricate dynamics within the Republican Party as they gear up for the 2024 election.
