As speculation mounts over Trump’s running mate, contenders lay out groundwork at CPAC

The annual Conservative Political Action Conference has long been a proving ground for presidential hopefuls, launching the political aspirations of heavyweights like Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump.

This year, all eyes were on who could be number 2.

Former President Trump has handily dispatched nearly all of his rivals in the 2024 primary, with only former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley trailing by wide voting margins and losing by double digits in every state he has ever contested. voted so far.

With the Republican nomination all but decided, speculation about Trump’s potential running mate is ramping up in the party, with many of the top contenders meeting at CPAC at the same time in what some political observers considered a test of sorts.

“CPAC is an opportunity for vice presidential hopefuls to make their case to the MAGA base. At the end of the day, Trump will likely have an ‘Apprentice’ audition for the vice presidential job,” said a senior Republican strategist at the Trump’s orbit. , who asked not to be quoted by name in order to speak more freely. “CPAC is a good place because it is the most MAGA base: the true believers.”

“I think it’s very open,” this person added. “Trump keeps his cards very close to him.”

Florida Rep. Byron Donalds, Arizona Senate candidate Kari Lake, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, New York Rep. Elise Stefanik and Ohio Sen. JD Vance spoke at Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, offering a chance to test different messages for Trump’s most loyal enthusiasts and for the party to see how much his rhetoric resonates with the Republican base.

The agenda was so packed that conservative activist Tom Fitton, director of Judicial Watch, commented immediately after Lake’s speech: “Looks like I’m the only one here not running for vice president.”

Donalds focused his speech largely on foreign policy, urging America’s allies to invest more in shared defense and declaring: “Decide Joe Biden, which country you care about more, the US border or the Ukrainian border ?

Lake also focused on the border, calling fentanyl a “weapon of mass destruction” and praising Trump as “exactly the man we needed in 2015, and he’s exactly the man we need today.”

Noem touted the populist policies implemented in her state as a model for the United States, drawing applause by declaring, “I was the only governor in this country who never closed a single business” during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ramaswamy leaned toward cultural battles, warning of a “war between those of us who love the United States of America and our founding ideals and a fringe minority who hate this country and what we truly stand for.”

Stefanik echoed Trump’s warning that his enemies would “stop at nothing” to “steal the next election,” a phrase that resonated with the crowd.

And Vance praised Trump while vilifying many lawmakers’ eagerness to continue helping Ukraine defend itself from the Russian invasion rather than focusing more on domestic issues. “If what you care about most is a conflict 6,000 miles away, you shouldn’t be a leader in this country,” he said.

The speeches also included subtle criticism, including Noem wondering “why all these other people and candidates entered the race,” apparently referring to Ramaswamy and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, two former 2024 candidates now running as possible candidates for Trump. companions.

Still, one thing that united everyone who spoke was their admiration for Trump’s time in office.

Before the conference was in full swing, another source in Trump’s orbit, who also did not want to be quoted by name to be candid, told ABC News they expected the same thing.

“I think what you’ll see at CPAC is a number of people who are trying to impress the crowd that they are as MAGA as Trump, that they are the best person to be his running mate,” this person said on Wednesday. “There are a number of people who are going to go out and try to convince a very conservative crowd that their Trump bona fides are enough.”

Underscoring the focus on “everyman’s bets,” CPAC added to its straw poll a question about who attendees want Trump to pick as his No. 2, the first time in at least a decade it was included in the well-known, but unscientific, — survey.

The poll of 1,478 CPAC attendees showed a tie, with Noem and Ramaswamy tied at 15%, followed by former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard at 9%, Stefanik and Scott tied at 8%, Donalds at 7%, and Lake with 6%.

Conversations with more than a dozen attendees reflected those results and showed a variety of preferences, with many speaking about their choices with adjectives like “tough,” while others said they remain open to several of the names mentioned.

“I just think she’s tough,” said Pat Thomas, a retired hay farmer from North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, explaining why he would like Noem to run with Trump.

“I love Byron Donalds. He just came on stage. He would be a great vice presidential candidate. Let’s support him,” said Thomas Siens, an economist in Fort Worth, Texas, shortly after Donalds spoke to the crowd.

“I like Kristi Noem. I like Ramaswamy. JD Vance, some of the ones I’d like to see. But it’s a big decision. I think there are a lot of really good options for them,” said Orlando Florida doctor Mark Wehrum.

“I think there are a lot of people who are auditioning,” said Jonathan Grier, a doctor in Altoona, Pennsylvania. “I think CPAC is a good barometer of who’s who.”

But at the end of the day, the pitch to be Trump’s running mate only has one real audience: him. And the Republican convention this summer is still months away, and the second source in Trump’s orbit is skeptical that CPAC can make or break anyone’s chances for promotion this year.

“My guess is that Donald Trump won’t see a single speech at CPAC and will show up just to give his speech and then leave,” this person said.