The race to determine who will be Donald Trump\u2019s running mate this November took a major step forward last week with the acceleration of vetting multiple potential candidates, but political insiders with deep knowledge of presidential campaigns say there is one possible name on the former president\u2019s shortlist Democrats \u201cfear\u201d the most.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trump\u2019s campaign recently entered the next phase of the running mate search by requesting documents from several prospective contenders, including Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who has grown to be a staunch ally of the former president since running against him in the 2016 Republican presidential primaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRubio is a familiar face who has become one of the strongest voices in the Senate for the America First agenda, is excellent on TV, and can blast Biden effectively for his failed policies,\u201d one top GOP strategist told Fox News Digital. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTrump is doing very well with Latino voters and the addition of Rubio would only strengthen that, which could spell the end for Biden,\u201d they said, adding that \u201cRubio would be a solid, safe pick, with a lot of upside.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
GOP strategist Matt Wolking, who served as deputy communications director for Trump\u2019s 2020 presidential campaign, described Rubio as \u201can effective, disciplined communicator who rarely makes mistakes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He noted that Rubio was the only person under consideration who speaks another language, and that his ability to speak Spanish would help the Trump campaign reach\u00a0Hispanic voters\u00a0in many states where it could boost their competitiveness, including Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona, Virginia, New York, and Florida.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While demonstrating his ability to win a slightly higher percentage of White voters in 2022 than Trump did in Florida in 2020, he also appeals to the suburban and independent voters that will be key to Trump\u2019s success, and is the only contender from a true battleground state,\u201d Wolking said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTrump would balance out his ticket by picking Rubio for VP, which cannot be said for some of the other options. These reasons are why many Democrats fear the selection of Rubio the most,\u201d he said, citing a May\u00a0Vanity Fair article\u00a0specifically noting some of those worries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Wolking added that Rubio\u2019s experience as a leader on the Senate Intelligence Committee would be \u201cvaluable\u201d for Trump to \u201creign in rogue agencies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A source close to Trump\u2019s campaign echoed what the other two said of Rubio\u2019s Latino heritage boosting the campaign\u2019s ability to connect with Hispanic voters, but also pointed to what they said were a few downsides to Rubio\u2019s potential selection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m not sure he\u2019s a 100% Trump guy. That\u2019s the one thing I would say, that he has not always been enthusiastic about Trump. I think that\u2019s the one area I would find could be a little troubling to the Trump faithful. That might be an issue,\u201d the source said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
They were noting Rubio\u2019s past criticism of Trump, including when he called him \u201creckless and dangerous\u201d while running against him in 2016, and when he said the former president was responsible \u201cfor some of what happened\u201d during the Jan. 6 protests at the U.S. Capitol. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe other thing is the question of whether Rubio is the right person to carry the Republican colors in 2028 and beyond,\u201d the source said. \u201cI think he\u2019s a good man. Don\u2019t get me wrong. I think he\u2019s been a great senator, and been very effective. I think he would be a more than adequate vice president, but it just gives me pause to think about him as a potential candidate, and whether he\u2019s a Trump-faithful follower.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A source close to Trump\u2019s campaign echoed what the other two said of Rubio\u2019s Latino heritage boosting the campaign\u2019s ability to connect with Hispanic voters, but also pointed to what they said were a few downsides to Rubio\u2019s potential selection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m not sure he\u2019s a 100% Trump guy. That\u2019s the one thing I would say, that he has not always been enthusiastic about Trump. I think that\u2019s the one area I would find could be a little troubling to the Trump faithful. That might be an issue,\u201d the source said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
They were noting Rubio\u2019s past criticism of Trump, including when he called him \u201creckless and dangerous\u201d while running against him in 2016, and when he said the former president was responsible \u201cfor some of what happened\u201d during the Jan. 6 protests at the U.S. Capitol. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe other thing is the question of whether Rubio is the right person to carry the Republican colors in 2028 and beyond,\u201d the source said. \u201cI think he\u2019s a good man. Don\u2019t get me wrong. I think he\u2019s been a great senator, and been very effective. I think he would be a more than adequate vice president, but it just gives me pause to think about him as a potential candidate, and whether he\u2019s a Trump-faithful follower.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
New York Post<\/p>\n\n\n\n