Who will win one of this year's toughest fights and become 2024's GOP VP?
With his seemingly insurmountable lead in place, is Donald Trump's pending pick the real race to watch?


When then-candidate Donald Trump finally selected Indiana Gov. Mike Pence as his running mate in the 2016 presidential elections, it was, as The New York Times noted that summer, a "concession to standard political imperatives" from a decidedly non-standard candidate. While Pence's rollout as a vice presidential candidate was marked by Trump's characteristically attention-seeking bombast — a process that "[made] his campaign look like a mess," according to The Washington Post's Philip Bump — it was, practically speaking, an admission that as a political neophyte and outsider, Trump needed the mainstream conservative bona fides and connections of a consummate GOP insider like Pence to galvanize support for his first national election. It was a relationship which ultimately would not last.
This time around, again-candidate Trump is in a very different position than he was nearly eight years ago. Not only does he sit comfortably atop a robust field of fellow Republican presidential aspirants, but he does so in the context of a broader GOP that has largely reshaped itself in his image. No longer an untested underdog battling his way to the front of a crowded pack, Trump is now an — perhaps even the — elder statesman of his party, acting as a center of gravity for fellow Republicans who are eager to hitch their political fortunes to his MAGA cart. In practice, this means intense speculation and behind-the-scenes jockeying to secure a position as his next VP pick, even before a single vote has been cast in the 2024 primary race. With a week to go before Iowans kick off the campaign season with their first-in-the-nation caucus on Jan. 15, the race to become Trump's veep pick is already picking up some noticeable steam.
What the commentators said
In an interview with NBC News this past September, Trump himself stressed that while he was "going to choose the best person" as his VP pick, he "like[d] the concept" of a woman as his running mate. The choice will be "difficult" as the former president's "personal needs will dominate" the selection process, according to The Miami Herald's Robert Pawlicki. Predicting that Trump's pick will indeed "likely will be a woman — and rabidly loyal," Pawlicki nevertheless ruled out candidates already "on the Republican presidential debate stage" and instead offered both South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (who has already said she's open to the opportunity) and failed Arizona Gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake as sufficiently deferential options.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) may be "auditioning" for the role of Trump's VP pick, MSNBC host Alex Witt speculated, after the congresswoman staunchly defended Trump during a recent appearance on NBC's Meet the Press. Former GOP Rep. David Jolly agreed, musing that "there is no one in America running harder" for the role than Stefanik.
With her political star rising as fellow Republican Presidential candidate Ron DeSantis' fades, former Trump United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley has become a focal point for VP speculation, as she surges in the polls ahead of the Iowa caucuses. Placing her on the ticket would suggest Trump is "at least vaguely interested in soothing skittish, non-MAGA women," The New York Times' Michelle Cottle reported, cautioning that it's "hard to see how Mr. Trump gets past that whole disloyalty thing with her." For her part, Haley has "repeatedly refused to reject" joining the Trump campaign, according to Reuters, explaining in a recent interview with the Union Leader that to do so would be the "news for days" and slow her momentum in the polls. For its part, the Trump campaign has made a "fervid effort to kill off Haley's veep buzz before it truly takes off," Politico reported late last month.
What next?
Ultimately, picking a white, male MAGA adherent would likely be the "easiest, most comfortable fit for a guy who favors unchallenging mini-mes" according to the Times' Cottle. Rather than selecting a running mate who complements his skills and helps expand his potential voting base, "the smartest bet" is that Trump will choose someone who "best accommodates his ego," agreed The Herald's Pawlicki.
For its part, the Trump campaign claimed in a statement to USA Today that for now, the former president is "solely focused on winning the Republican nomination" and nothing more.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Rafi Schwartz has worked as a politics writer at The Week since 2022, where he covers elections, Congress and the White House. He was previously a contributing writer with Mic focusing largely on politics, a senior writer with Splinter News, a staff writer for Fusion's news lab, and the managing editor of Heeb Magazine, a Jewish life and culture publication. Rafi's work has appeared in Rolling Stone, GOOD and The Forward, among others.
-
America's academic brain drain has begun
IN THE SPOTLIGHT As the Trump administration targets universities and teachers, educators are eying greener academic pastures elsewhere — and other nations are starting to take notice
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Why is Musk targeting a Wisconsin Supreme Court race?
Today's Big Question His money could help conservatives, but it could also produce a Democratic backlash
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
How to pay off student loans
The explainer Don't just settle for the default repayment plan
By Becca Stanek, The Week US Published
-
What dangers does the leaked Signal chat expose the US to?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION The White House's ballooning group chat scandal offered a masterclass in what not to say when prying eyes might be watching
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump sets 25% tariffs on auto imports
Speed Read The White House says the move will increase domestic manufacturing. But the steep import taxes could also harm the US auto industry.
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
'Even authoritarian regimes need a measure of public support — the consent of at least some of the governed'
instant opinion 'Opinion, comment and editorials of the day'
By Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week US Published
-
Waltz takes blame for texts amid calls for Hegseth ouster
Speed Read Democrats are calling for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and national security adviser Michael Waltz to step down
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
USPS Postmaster General DeJoy steps down
Speed Read Louis DeJoy faced ongoing pressure from the Trump administration as they continue to seek power over the postal system
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Judge: Nazis treated better than Trump deportees
speed read U.S. District Judge James Boasberg reaffirmed his order barring President Donald Trump from deporting alleged Venezuelan gang members
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
'There is a certain kind of strength in refusing to concede error'
instant opinion 'Opinion, comment and editorials of the day'
By Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week US Published
-
US officials share war plans with journalist in group chat
Speed Read Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg was accidentally added to a Signal conversation about striking Yemen
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published