Trump Veepstakes: Eligibility of Candidates
There has been a lot of names tossed around as possible picks by President Trump to be his Vice-Presidential running mate. Sadly, too many pundits and people forgot that there are basic legal criteria involved, criteria that automatically knocks out multiple candidates from the pool of favorites. We cover all basic eligibilty criteria as it applies to the top fifteen (15) names currently floating in the media, eliminating the ineligible.
This webpage has *nothing* to do with each potential candidate's personality, or their different stances regarding various policies or issues, or anything like that, but it is merely just a "litmus test" about the basic legal requirements to even be considered for the role of Vice-President. Likewise, the list is simply given in alphabetical order.
The basic legal requirements to be considered for the Vice-Presidency, pursuant to the 12th Amendment, include all of the same criteria for the Presidency under Article II, Section 1, Clause 5 of the Constitution, i.e., he or she must be: (1) a natural born citizen; (2) who is 35+ years old; (3) and who has actually lived within the United States for at least 14 years. But the criteria for VP includes one more factor, in that the candidate running for VP cannot reside within the same State as the candidate for President, because every Elector is required to cast his or her electoral votes for such pair of candidates with "at least" one of that pair of candidates not residing in the same State as the Elector, pursuant to the 12th Amendment (and the prior provision).
Since Trump resides in Florida, that means that anyone else living in Florida, to even remotely be considered for VP pick, would have to move out of Florida, just like Dick Cheney moved out of Texas to be VP pick for Bush. But with a very tightly-contested House *and* a very tightly-contested Senate, immediately losing any GOP-held seat in either the House or Senate, just for someone to have to move out of Florida to be VP pick, is simply not a reasonable consideration at all. Likewise, it is equally nonsensical for DeSantis to give up his Governorship for the same reasoning.
And so now, that full alphabetical listing is presented for your review:
Name: Ben Carson
Position/Experience: former Secretary of HUD under Trump45
Age At Least 35 Years Old? YES
USA Residency 14+ Years? YES
Natural Born Citizen? YES
Non-Florida Resident? YES
VP Eligibility = 100% Eligible
Name: Ron DeSantis
Position/Experience: current FL Governor
Age At Least 35 Years Old? YES
USA Residency 14+ Years? YES
Natural Born Citizen? YES
Non-Florida Resident? NO, must lose Office and move away
VP Eligibility = 33% Eligible
Name: Byron Donalds
Position/Experience: current U.S. Representative FL-19
Age At Least 35 Years Old? YES
USA Residency 14+ Years? YES
Natural Born Citizen? YES
Non-Florida Resident? NO, must lose Office and move away
VP Eligibility = 33% Eligible
Name: Tulsi Gabbard
Position/Experience: former U.S. Rep HI-2, U.S. Army Officer
Age At Least 35 Years Old? YES
USA Residency 14+ Years? YES
Natural Born Citizen? YES, with special note
Non-Florida Resident? YES
VP Eligibility = 100% Eligible
Name: Nikki Haley
Position/Experience: former SC Gov, former UN Ambassador
Age At Least 35 Years Old? YES
USA Residency 14+ Years? YES
Natural Born Citizen? NO, she is only native born citizen
Non-Florida Resident? YES
VP Eligibility = 0% Eligible
Name: Kari Lake
Position/Experience: former TV news anchor, ran for AZ Gov
Age At Least 35 Years Old? YES
USA Residency 14+ Years? YES
Natural Born Citizen? YES
Non-Florida Resident? YES
VP Eligibility = 100% Eligible
Name: Kristi Noem
Position/Experience: current SD Gov, former SD state Rep
Age At Least 35 Years Old? YES
USA Residency 14+ Years? YES
Natural Born Citizen? YES
Non-Florida Resident? YES
VP Eligibility = 100% Eligible
Name: Vivek Ramaswamy
Position/Experience: pharmaceutical entrepreneur
Age At Least 35 Years Old? YES
USA Residency 14+ Years? YES
Natural Born Citizen? NO, he is only native born citizen
Non-Florida Resident? YES
VP Eligibility = 0% Eligible
Name: Marco Rubio
Position/Experience: current FL Senator, former FL state Rep
Age At Least 35 Years Old? YES
USA Residency 14+ Years? YES
Natural Born Citizen? NO, he is only native born citizen
Non-Florida Resident? NO, must lose Office and move away
VP Eligibility = 0% Eligible (two strikes)
Name: Sarah Sanders
Position/Experience: current AR Gov, former Trump Press Sec
Age At Least 35 Years Old? YES
USA Residency 14+ Years? YES
Natural Born Citizen? YES
Non-Florida Resident? YES
VP Eligibility = 100% Eligible
Name: Tim Scott
Position/Experience: current SC Senator, former SC state Rep
Age At Least 35 Years Old? YES
USA Residency 14+ Years? YES
Natural Born Citizen? YES
Non-Florida Resident? YES
VP Eligibility = 100% Eligible
Name: Elise Stefanik
Position/Experience: current U.S. Representative NY-21
Age At Least 35 Years Old? YES
USA Residency 14+ Years? YES
Natural Born Citizen? YES
Non-Florida Resident? YES
VP Eligibility = 100% Eligible
Name: J.D. Vance
Position/Experience: current OH Senator, veteran (Marines)
Age At Least 35 Years Old? YES
USA Residency 14+ Years? YES
Natural Born Citizen? YES
Non-Florida Resident? YES
VP Eligibility = 100% Eligible
Name: Scott Walker
Position/Experience: former WI Governor, state Rep, and more
Age At Least 35 Years Old? YES
USA Residency 14+ Years? YES
Natural Born Citizen? YES
Non-Florida Resident? YES
VP Eligibility = 100% Eligible
Name: Lee Zeldin
Position/Experience: former U.S. Rep NY-21, U.S. Army Officer
Age At Least 35 Years Old? YES
USA Residency 14+ Years? YES
Natural Born Citizen? YES
Non-Florida Resident? YES
VP Eligibility = 100% Eligible
Recommended Trump 2024 Cabinet
This author would recommend Carson as VP pick, as he has that consistent "measured tone" that is so important for a Trump VP, but if fast and furious repairs to America are the goal, then Carson should resume his role as Quarterback of the entire HUD team.
For Energy Secretary this time, Trump should really nominate Sarah Palin over Rick Perry. Remember, Sarah is a strong loyalist to Trump, she is definitely America First, and she likewise successfully brokered an energy deal that pays each Alaskan citizen over $1000 annually apiece in royalties. But Sarah may not wish to live around DC.
For Secretary of State, the nomination should probably go to Rubio, as even though that means losing a GOP Senator, there is nobody like Rubio to be an ever-vigilant hawk on all important things internationally, especially China, Russia, and so forth, and remembering that Rubio is not constitutionally eligible for the VP role anyway.
Tulsi Gabbard would be a very straightforward pick for Secretary of Veteran Affairs, but that could just as easily be Zeldin too, while there should be little shyness about considering Tulsi Gabbard as either Secretary of Defense, Transportation or Interior, but then for that Secretary of Defense role, JD Vance can also easily be considered.
Likewise, Vivek would fit well into any of the several business-related Cabinet roles.
DeSantis and Donalds should continue holding down the fort in Florida, and except only for bad faith actor Nikki Haley, everybody else listed above is worthy enough to be placed somewhere within Trump's overall Cabinet.
That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.
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