By Wayne Allyn Root
First things first. I know President Trump as well as anyone in the U.S. media. I consider him a friend. I’m honored to say he’s been a guest on my TV and radio shows 15 times. And he’s chosen me as opening speaker at many of his rallies.
So, I know President Trump. I know how he thinks- like a chess champion. But only Trump gets to choose. And only Trump knows his ultimate criteria. So, these are only my thoughts and choices. Not Trump’s. In the end Trump will make the choice. And we will support whoever he chooses.
But here are my leading choices and my thoughts on the finalists. There are seven finalists being vetted by the US government. Assuming Trump is not doing a classic “head fake,” these are the only seven under final consideration. So, I am choosing among these final seven…
Senator JD Vance (R- Ohio)
Senator Marco Rubio (R-Florida)
Senator Tim Scott (R- South Carolina)
Governor Doug Burgum (R- North Dakota)
Dr. Ben Carson
Congressman Elise Stefanik (R- NY)
Congressman Byron Donalds (R-Florida)
Trump may pick Dr. Ben Carson. It’s certainly a safe pick. Ben is one of the nicest, smartest people in the history of US politics. You can’t get smarter than a brain surgeon. He’s been my guest on TV and radio many times- he is the ultimate gentleman. He is nice, polite, classy and brilliant. He is the living embodiment of the American Dream. A poor black kid who became a brain surgeon, Presidential contender in 2016, and a Trump Cabinet Secretary (HUD).
I’ve heard rumors that Ben was Trump’s top choice for a year now. He is an ideal pick if…
Trump wants someone safe, steady, loyal and credible. Someone who has no negatives to hurt the ticket. Someone who is only there to support Trump’s agenda. Someone who is highly likeable. That’s Dr Ben. He is certainly a safe and steady choice, with no negatives. But not exciting.
Ditto for Governor Doug Burgum. He also fits the criteria of safe, steady, loyal and credible. He’s kind of a Midwest version of Dr. Ben Carson. But he’s also a brilliant businessman who earned a fortune in the high-tech world. And he’s a 100% pro-energy guy, who Trump could put in charge of making America energy independent again- which is what defeats inflation. Burgum is certainly a safe and steady choice with no negatives. But not exciting.
Senator Marco Rubio is an interesting choice. He is telegenic, an excellent communicator and Hispanic. He would be the first Hispanic in history on a presidential ticket. He is a prolific fundraiser- especially among the pro-Israel community. A strong choice, all the way around.
But my issue with him is his voting record. I want a clear-cut conservative patriot as VP. Trump is 78 years old. If the VP ever has to step up (God forbid), is he a true MAGA conservative? Rubio’s rating by Heritage Foundation (ratings don’t lie) is only 67% in this Senate session. His lifetime rating is only 81%. Good, but not great.
That leaves my favorite two choices. My final pick would come down to these two.
JD Vance is my first choice. First, he’s a true conservative patriot. His Heritage rating is 93% in this session and 93% lifetime too. If he had to step in for President Trump, he’d be another Trump or Reagan. That fits the bill.
Now to the chess board. Strategy-wise, JD is the perfect pick. He’s young, exciting, fresh-faced and 110% Midwest. He speaks for the working class and middle class of the Midwest, who’ve been left behind by Democrats and the DC Swamp. JD as VP brings out millions of Americans who feel left behind. He gives Trump an excellent chance of winning Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. Game over. Checkmate.
JD is my first choice.
But a close second for me, and the ultimate grand slam homerun wild card is Congressman Byron Donalds.
Before I got into politics, I was the most successful and well known Las Vegas oddsmaker and sports handicapper. I built my success on picking underdogs. Long shots who paid off. I built fortune and fame by picking underdogs with qualities no one else noticed.
Byron Donalds fits that bill.Â
Byron is young, black, dynamic, telegenic, and although a Florida Congressman, he was born and raised by a single mom on the streets of Brooklyn, New York. He speaks the language of young black America.
Trump is doing better with black Americans than any Republican ever. This pick would excite black America like nothing in history. This is how you “send it home.” This is how you close the deal. This is how you change voting patterns forever more. This is how you change history. I predict Trump would take 40% or more of the black vote with Donalds as VP. That would hand Trump a landslide.
But it gets better. Byron Donalds’ Heritage rating is 100% in this session and his lifetime score is 98%. He is not only the perfect young, dynamic, exciting black conservative, but the perfect conservative- PERIOD.
So, my two finalists for Trump’s VP would be JD Vance and Byron Donalds.
If you want young, exciting and “close out the Midwest,” pick JD. If you want to make a statement and excite black voters like never before in history, pick Byron Donalds. In each case, we get a true conservative patriot by Trump’s side- with the Heritage ratings to prove it.
But, that’s just me. We’ll soon find out how Trump thinks. In the end, that’s all that matters.
HOT OFF THE PRESSES: Watch Wayne’s brand new TV Show, “The ROOT Reaction” weeknights at 10 PM ET/7 PM Pacific on Real America’s Voice TV, and Wayne’s weekend “America’s Top Ten Countdown” on Saturdays at Noon ET/9 AM PT on Real America’s Voice TV. Watch at RealAmericasVoice.com, or at Rumble, Roku, Pluto, Apple, Dish TV Ch 219, or go to RootforAmerica.com to watch.
