When J.D. Vance appeared on CNN during prime time last week, he probably only had one audience.
When asked if he had any concerns about becoming President Donald Trump's vice president given the former president's contentious relationship with Mike Pence, Vance strongly defended Trump. He downplayed the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol, when Pence was forced to evacuate the building when rioters called for his execution.
“Should we blame Donald Trump for every bad thing said by a participant in American democracy? Vance said. “I think that’s a ridiculous standard.”
Vance and nearly a dozen other vice presidential candidates have flooded cable and network news recently, aiming to become Trump's running mate. Perhaps more importantly, Trump and his top aides were closely monitoring what they were doing. As the former president decides who to choose, he is specifically watching what they do to help his campaign, according to a person close to Trump who was granted anonymity to describe internal deliberations. The former president examines their performance in media interviews — both defending him and taking on President Joe Biden — and the steps they're taking to raise campaign money and expand Biden's donor network. Trump.
Trump is also considering various candidates for potential positions in his administration, if he wins, those familiar with the deliberations say. Whenever potential vice presidential candidates appear at his rallies, Trump examines how they perform as surrogates and how crowds respond to their speeches.
“A number of the leading vice presidential candidates are working hard, and I'm sure the president and his team are watching closely,” said Steve Witkoff, a close friend of Trump and a Florida real estate executive. “It makes a big difference when they help raise money and also go into the lion's den to do the hard work, including speaking to voters and doing TV interviews. "
Maneuvers are multiplying to obtain Trump's number two. Last Sunday, a handful of vice presidential candidates, including Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and Rep. from New York Elise Stefanik, went viral on television. Programs. The source said both received very good evaluations from the former president's team.
Next week, Vance will host a major fundraiser for Trump in Cincinnati. Vance, a former venture capitalist, is also hosting a Silicon Valley fundraiser for the former president.
Trump, who gained national fame hosting and co-producing NBC's hit show "The Apprentice," has long placed a high value on how people behave on television. He and his team closely monitor who he defends in tough interviews on less friendly platforms. This includes Vance joining CNN, a network that Trump and his allies hate.
The renewed activity offers a glimpse into the internal calculations made by the current class of vice presidential candidates as they try to impress Trump and his circle of advisers. It shows how Pence's difficult experiences with Trump — particularly at the end of their administration — were downplayed by senior Republicans.
Trump has said he likely won't choose an official vice presidential nominee until the Republican National Convention, which begins July 15 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. But Trump's team has begun screening potential candidates, as is customary in vice presidential searches. The list of people affected is long, according to two people familiar with the matter who were granted anonymity to speak freely. They say Trump added names to the list.
On Sunday, Scott received particular praise from Trump's inner circle after an appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press," in which, like Vance, he gave no ground in his defense of Trump. Pressed repeatedly to explain why Trump had refused to commit to accepting the results of the 2024 election – and whether he would do so as well – Scott responded: "That's why so many Americans think NBC is an extension of the Democratic Party. “I have said it and I know the American people, their voices will be heard and I believe President Trump will be our next president, it’s that simple.”
Burgum also used his appearance on a show Sunday to defend the former president. During an interview on CNN's "State of the Union," host Jake Tapper pressed the governor to respond to Trump's assertion that Democrats are using "welfare" as a means to attract votes. Burgum essentially defended that statement, saying Biden engaged in “vote buying” by proposing student debt relief.
Other prominent figures on the TV circuit considered to be in the running for the No. 2 job include former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson, a longtime Trump loyalist, and Florida Rep. Byron Donalds. During a February interview on "Meet the Press," Donalds, who is black, defended Trump against the criticism he faced when he said black voters liked him because he was charged with criminal.
Some potential picks seek to help with fundraising, a priority for Trump, who faces a cash deficit against Biden. Burgum, a millionaire former tech executive, held fundraising meetings and made appeals to donors. Vivek Ramaswamy, the wealthy biotech entrepreneur turned 2024 GOP presidential candidate turned Trump supporter, introduced Trump to wealthy donors in Silicon Valley and Texas. Ramaswamy has also been active in the television and podcast circuit.
Others are trying to distinguish themselves by attacking Biden. Over the weekend, Cotton and Rubio used their appearances on the Sunday morning shows to criticize the president over his handling of nationwide campus protests related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Trump's team praised them internally for their media appearances.
Stefanik, meanwhile, has become a vocal critic of Trump's criminal accusations. The actor has filed several ethics complaints targeting the prosecutors handling the cases.
Trump's team also has its eye on other emerging Republicans: Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Trump's former press secretary, and Alabama Sen. Katie Britt, who provided the Republican response to Biden's State of the Union address.
Trump did not reach out to his preferred candidate for the job. But at a donor meeting hosted by the Republican National Committee in Palm Beach last weekend, he invited a number of candidates to come on stage with him and congratulated several of them.
The conference represents the latest in a series of real-world experiments for competitors to prove their political skills. In the eyes of Trump aides, Donalds “stood out” among those who spoke at the station, said the person familiar with the former president’s thinking.
“[Vice presidential candidates] are working hard helping to raise money, fighting false media narratives and reaching out to voters across the country,” said John Paulson, an investor and close friend of Trump. “The president and his team are grateful for all their hard work. »