OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
The Republican Party has been awaiting the name of who former President Donald Trump will select to be his vice president, and a new name has risen in the ranks.
The contender is Republican Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton, who was not named in a report last week as one of the people who received paperwork to be vetted.
But a new report from The Washington Post said that Sen. Cotton was one of the people who received paperwork.
“The two men fostered a close relationship during their time in Washington. They worked closely on immigration issues and shared an affinity for the conservative populism fueling the Republican Party,” the report from The Post said. “Cotton’s presence on a presidential ticket could help reassure Republicans in the party’s dwindling traditional wing, particularly fellow foreign-policy hawks. Many of these Republicans remain undecided about a second term for Mr. Trump and might be put off by the selection of an inexperienced MAGA loyalist.”
“Senator Cotton stands out among the other candidates as a battle-tested, serious-minded lawmaker with exceptional fundraising skills,” a Trump source said to The Daily Wire. “He’s a fighter that would round out the ticket in a way that is most likely to secure a victory in November.”
Multiple news outlets report that Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), and Tim Scott (R-S.C.), plus Reps. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) and Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), have received the forms, as have North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R) and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson.
NBC News claimed that the process is “heavily concentrated on four top prospects”—Burgum, Rubio, Scott, and Vance.
The absence of South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem (R), Arizona U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake, and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) as vetting prospects was conspicuously evident in multiple high-profile reports, all of which relied on sources familiar with Trump’s campaign. However, the process is fluid, an insider told the Associated Press.
“Anyone claiming to know who or when President Trump will choose his VP is lying, unless the person is named Donald J. Trump,” Trump campaign spokesperson Brian Hughes said in a statement to outlets on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Trump has doubled down on his prediction of winning a historically blue state in a video he posted to his Truth Social platform on Tuesday.
Trump, who was born in Queens, New York, says he will win his birth state, though for now, polling suggests otherwise.
“I believe that with your support, we can win the state of New York and I’m looking to win it as your presidential nominee. We are going to win New York – remember those words. I hope I’m gonna be correct. If I am, the election is over,” he said. ‘
“There’s tremendous discontent in New York with hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants taking over your schools and your playgrounds, and the crime that’s happening in the city of New York and the state of New York. The lack of supervision, the lack of control, the lack of leadership, terrible things are happening in New York. I think we can win it,” he added.
“And again, we’re gonna make a big play for New York, presidentially,” Trump reiterated. “And so get out and join us. It’s gonna be one of the greatest wins, I think, in the history of the state. There’s no question about it, and I do believe we can do it.”
Former President Trump made a remarkable admission recently, saying even Democrats and “liberals” want to be his running mate and part of his administration should he win in November.
“I get a kick out of watching the fake news media say, ‘Nobody wants to work with him; nobody wants to be vice president; Nobody wants to be secretary of state.’ Everybody wants to be in these positions,” Trump said.
“There’s is not a person in politics that doesn’t want it, and that includes Democrats. If I wanted, I’d have a Democrat; I’d have a liberal; I’d have … anybody I want,” he added.
That said, Trump noted he won’t be picking a Democrat as his running mate or potential vice president.
