Possible members of a Trump administration, from running mate to chief of staff

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Currently, nothing has captivated the political mind as much as the consideration of Vice President options for Donald Trump.

Since it is almost certain that Donald Trump will be the chosen candidate, his potential running mate will provide insight to voters on the potential actions of a future administration. The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) this year provided a suitable platform for potential members of Trump’s administration to showcase their abilities.

Jeffrey Lord, a political strategist who served in the Reagan and Bush administrations, stated to The Independent during CPAC that it is probable that Trump will choose a female vice presidential candidate or Senator Tim Scott, the only Black Republican senator who publicly supported him last month.

“I believe the most likely choices for vice president are either Tim Scott or a woman, but it won’t be Nikki Haley,” he stated. The recent straw poll at CPAC revealed that only 2% of attendees favored Haley as Trump’s running mate. Conducted by Trump’s pollster Jim McLaughlin, the straw poll also showed that South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem and businessman and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy received the same number of votes, 15% each.

Lord emphasized the significance of defying preconceived notions about the running mate’s identity. In simpler terms, it would be advantageous for Trump to not choose a straight white man as his running mate this time around. Lord referenced his experience in the George H W Bush administration, where the president nominated Clarence Thomas, a Black man, to succeed Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. Opting for a Black or female running mate would create confusion among opponents and divert potential criticism.

According to him, the underlying message is that being Black, liberal, female, Latino, or gay are all viewed favorably by the liberal media. Therefore, if Trump were to choose Tim Scott, they would criticize him, as well as Kristi Noem if she were nominated. This is how the game is played – Democrats and more progressive media outlets will criticize individuals from marginalized groups, who may be seen as “self-hating,” in order to deflect some criticism from Trump.

At the conference, several individuals including Ramaswamy, Noem, New York’s Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, and Ohio’s Senator JD Vance delivered speeches. It was apparent that each speech served as an audition.

Stefanik, who initially identified as a moderate and opposed the Trump tax cuts, later moved towards more conservative views. In an effort to display her support for the MAGA movement, she highlighted the popularity of her video questioning university presidents on antisemitism, which was the most viewed video from a congressional hearing this year. She also pointed out her success in winning a previously Democratic district.

Noem, on her end, embraced her gender and acknowledged the obstacles she faced for being a female candidate for governor. She presented herself as a bold and determined rancher when she stated that both Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were inadequate.

In the meantime, Vance chose to participate in a face-to-face interview discussing his stance against providing assistance to Ukraine.

In 2016, Donald Trump selected Indiana governor Mike Pence, a strong believer in evangelical conservatism and an opponent of abortion, as his running mate. This decision solidified Trump’s image with the religious right, as Pence, with his wholesome midwestern demeanor and strong conservative values, publicly identified himself as “a Christian, a conservative, and a Republican, in that order.”

However, Trump and Pence underwent a highly publicized divorce which ended with Pence’s refusal to reject the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. This resulted in Trump’s supporters calling for Pence to be lynched on January 6.

Subsequently, Trump has influenced the Republican voting demographic. Though he has garnered backing from voters without college degrees in states such as Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, as well as non-college-educated Latino voters in areas like the Rio Grande Valley of Texas and Miami, Florida, he has also faced setbacks. The support of voters in suburban areas of cities like Atlanta and Phoenix resulted in Georgia and Arizona casting their votes for the Democratic party for the first time in decades.

According to Hogan Gidley, a former White House deputy press secretary under Trump’s first term, he required a person who was adequately supportive of Trump.

“I believe the individual should unquestionably support MAGA,” he stated to The Independent. However, he also recognized that Trump would have to appeal to suburban voters: “I think the person should be capable of entering suburbia and engaging in discussions with individuals about the agenda, personal and professional qualities of Donald Trump, and demonstrate precisely why he achieved success and how significantly his policies truly improved their lives.”

As CPAC came to a close, Steve Bannon expressed delight that the straw poll revealed Noem, Ramaswamy, Tulsi Gabbard, Byron Donalds, and Kari Lake as the preferred choices for Trump’s vice presidential running mate among the attendees.

“I want the media to focus on this,” he stated. “You are falsely accusing these decent and diligent individuals, right? They have chosen to be here and they have the right to make their own decisions. They have just voted for their preferred candidates in the tough upcoming election, and they have chosen people of color and women to be in the top eight. Where is the evidence of racism and sexism in that?”

Selecting a vice presidential candidate is only a glimpse of Trump’s potential actions as president. If he is elected, he will have to carefully choose individuals to fill his administration with those who are loyal to him – a task that has become more challenging after his disagreements with many of his original choices during his first term.

“In his role as National Security Adviser under Trump’s leadership, John Bolton pointed out the significant focus on Trump’s legal challenges in his messaging. He has actively highlighted his legal battles, while also insinuating that his supporters may face legal consequences for simply believing in the MAGA dream. Bolton implied that by appealing to his base in this way, Trump can potentially manipulate his presidential powers to benefit himself legally.”

Bolton stated to The Independent that he desires retribution for the matter. If he remains in office after being reelected, he may utilize the Justice Department or possibly the Defense Department to accomplish this goal. This raises significant concerns about the extent of his authority and the potential consequences for American citizens.

Bannon and other Trump supporters, like Davis, are hoping for Davis to become the future attorney general as he has expressed concerns about “activist” prosecutors using the legal system to target Trump for political reasons. During an appearance on Bannon’s War Room show, Davis discussed the qualifications for staffing a Trump administration.

According to him, there are two requirements for becoming a political appointee of a president: competence and loyalty. It is necessary to possess both qualities; one cannot be chosen over the other.

In a recent episode of War Room, Johnny McEntee, a senior advisor for the politically conservative Project 2025, discussed the process of filling positions in a potential Republican administration following the election.

On Friday’s show, he stated to Bannon that in January of 2025, they will begin with a strong start and the support of many loyal citizens to reclaim the nation.

Anthony Scaramucci, the previous director of communications for the Trump administration, was abruptly fired after only 11 days. He recently voiced his apprehension about McEntee’s intentions and was worried that he may become a chief of staff in a potential future Trump administration.

“Johnny is a devoted supporter of Trump. He firmly believes in the ideology of Making America Great Again,” Scaramucci stated to The Independent.

Scaramucci stated that in Trump’s initial presidential period, individuals who were not devoted followers tended to be the more capable individuals. These individuals often clashed with the Trump administration and include figures such as Gary Cohn, a previous Goldman Sachs executive who worked as the economic adviser; John Kelly, a retired four-star Marine general who served as Homeland Security Secretary and second chief of staff; James Mattis, another retired Marine general who served as Defense Secretary; and Rex Tillerson, a former CEO at ExxonMobil, who was appointed as secretary of state.

Scaramucci stated that it’s unlikely to find someone who hasn’t had a disagreement with Donald Trump. This could result in Trump selecting individuals on the outskirts or having to collaborate with those he’s not in harmony with for his administration.

According to Gidley, who is a loyal supporter of Trump, the government has too many structures that allow people who do not support the president to remain. This includes individuals who have personal grievances, and Gidley believes it is important for the president to be able to assemble their own team and choose their own leaders.

However, this presents a paradox: In order for Trump to be successful, he would require support from individuals who extend beyond his most ardent supporters, yet these individuals may act to undermine any outsiders.

Source: independent.co.uk