The Battle For Trump’s Vice President Ramps Up

(RepublicanReport.org) – While nothing is certain in today’s political climate, with former President Donald Trump leading lone rival Nikki Haley by nearly 58 points, it’s probably safe to put your money on him securing the Republican nomination soon. With the former governor of South Carolina securing the silver medal, the battle for the former president’s running mate appears to be ramping up. One thing’s certain: it won’t be Mike Pence, not with his track record since leaving the White House in 2021.

Betfair, the world’s largest online betting marketplace, recently offered odds on who Trump will pick to run on this year’s GOP ticket as his vice president. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), the head of the House Republican conference, currently leads the pack with 9 to 2 odds, or 18.2%. Gov. Kristi Noem (R-SD) is in second place with 6/1 odds, equalling 14.3%.

The other top contenders listed by the UK-based gambling exchange include:

Businessman and former GOP hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy: 15/2 or 11.8%
Former Housing Secretary Ben Carson: 10/1 or 9/1%
Haley: 11/1 or 8.3%
Former Republican rival Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC): 14/1 or 6.7%
Former Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY): 22/1 or 4.3%
Senate candidate for Arizona, Kari Lake: 29/1 or 3.3%
Gov. Ron DeSantis: 37/1 or 2.6%

Other noteworthy potential picks included former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Ivanka Trump, and musician Kanye West. Trump’s first national security advisor, retired UA Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, also made the list, along with Dr. Mehmet Oz. The last two individuals on the list included Lara Trump and New York’s former Democratic governor, Andrew Cuomo.

Newsweek contacted several prominent political scientists for their opinions on who Trump might select as his running mate. As one might expect, their opinions varied radically from Betfair’s and used different criteria.

For example, University of Dayton political science professor Christopher Devine predicted that Trump would choose his vice president based on loyalty over experience or confidence. However, he did warn that voters tend to reward presidential candidates who make a “responsible choice” and “penalize them” for selecting someone who “isn’t up to the job.”