After his win in New Hampshire, renewed questions about Donald Trump’s mental fitness make it more imperative that he selects a solid, vibrant, energetic number two to carry out the MAGA agenda.
Democrats have been harping on the 77-year-old Trump’s miscues recently in a Pee Wee Hermanesque “I know you are but what am I” strategy to convince voters that the former president is just as impaired and old as President Biden.
Trump’s win in Tuesday’s New Hampshire primary coming after his Iowa victory – which makes it difficult for Nikki Haley to recover – is likely to escalate speculation in the coming weeks about who his running mate will be in November.
Haley Tuesday night sought to portray the GOP race as “far from over” but she had her best shot to defeat Trump in the independent-dominated Granite State and failed. The race moves to her home state of South Carolina, where Trump is ahead in the polls.
“Now, you’ve all heard the chatter among the political class, they’re falling all over themselves saying this race is over,” Haley said. “I have news for them. New Hampshire is first in the nation not last in the nation. This race is far from over…I’m a fighter and I’m scrappy and now we’re the last one standing next to Donald Trump.”
Oddsmakers have installed New York congresswoman Elise Stefanik as the favorite for Trump to pick as vice presidential nominee. Stefanik is just 39 years old but has shot to the top of the pack based on her pinning down of Harvard and Penn’s presidents during congressional testimony about anti-semitism on their campuses.
Other potential running mates include South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, who just endorsed Trump, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and Trump GOP rival Nikki Haley, though Haley is unlikely to please the MAGA base.
What Trump doesn’t need is another Mike Pence or Sarah Palin.
He needs to convince wary voters that he has an understudy who can capably run the country without drama or anxiety or weakness.
Not an easy decision but it’s critical if he wants to win in November.
Trump’s number two should be younger, less controversial but still committed to the MAGA movement.
Trump confused Haley with Nancy Pelosi and mixed up his words in a recent speech, prompting the Biden campaign and liberal media to equate it to questions about Biden’s age and verbal gaffes.
“We have become a drug-infested, crime-ridden nation which is incapable of solving even the swollest, smallest problem , the simplest of problems we can no longer solve. We can’t do anything,” Trump said in Laconia, N.H. the eve of the primary.
“We are an institute in a powerful death penalty. We will put this on.”
Trump’s nonsensical remarks still fall short of Biden’s overall cognitive deficiencies that have been on display for the last three years.
But Biden’s campaign is clearly going to be emphasizing the former president’s age and even small mistakes to gloss over Biden’ gaffes.
Even Haley is seeking to capitalize on Trump’s senior moments to all into question his fitness for office.
