Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) predicted former President Trump would “play ‘Apprentice’” to decide on his vice-presidential pick and advised that he look to Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) as his best choices.
McCarthy on Monday spoke at an annual membership meeting of the American Health Association, giving his thoughts on the 2024 election cycle. A member of the audience asked what the “smartest” choice would be for Trump’s running mate.
“This is what I think Trump’s gonna do. He’s gonna play ‘Apprentice,’” McCarthy said, referencing Trump’s former reality show in which participants competed for a chance to go into business with him.
The California Republican said the decision-making process for vice president was no longer about shoring up votes by picking “some governor from one of those swing states.”
“Nikki Haley would rise to the top. She got what, a third of the vote?” McCarthy said of potential Trump running mates, adding that he believed the race would be “over” if it was Haley.
“I think Tim Scott would be a remarkable choice,” added McCarthy.
“There has only been one Black American elected to Congress and to the Senate, to the House and the Senate. That’s Tim Scott. And Tim Scott raises a whole different dynamic,” he said.
McCarthy indicated that Trump could make some gains among voters of color, noting that President Biden appears to be losing popularity among Hispanic and Black voters. Recalling former President Obama’s successful presidential campaigns, he noted how Democrats pulled together “young people from all different nationalities” around a strong candidate to win.
McCarthy brought up Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) as another potential vice-presidential choice for Trump but noted his youth and relatively small amount of time spent in Congress. He further observed the advanced ages of both Trump and Biden and the relatively high chance that any running mate chosen may end up serving as president.
“If I was to advise him, I’d look to Tim and Nicky if you want to win. If you want to pick someone that’s not going to argue with you, there’s a lot of people to pick. If you want to pick somebody that is just like you, that’s really not adding to the ticket,” McCarthy said.
During his remarks, he also commented on Trump’s day in court for alleged election interference in 2016. He claimed that if Trump wasn’t currently running for reelection, he would not be in court.
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