The only question left in this year’s Presidential race is who Donald Trump is going to name as his Vice President.
But at this recent rally, Trump may have just let the cat out of the bag.
And MAGA supporters are nervous about this major hint to whom Donald Trump may be favoring to become Vice President.
North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum takes the stage with Trump at massive New Jersey rally
North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum was barely a blip on the radar screen during his short-lived campaign for President.
Burgum dropped out of the GOP race in December after failing to qualify for the third and fourth primary debates.
But Burgum made an impression on at least one key Republican, the one whose voice counts the most.
Donald Trump.
And betting markets now show Burgum as the number two favorite to earn the nod as Trump’s running mate.
.@Polymarket – Trump VP odds
• Tim Scott: 20% (-3 from April 25)
• Doug Burgum: 17% (new)
• J.D. Vance: 13% (+8)
• Marco Rubio: 9% (+4)Who do YOU think should be Trump’s VP?
—
• Elise Stefanik: 6% (-4)
• Tulsi Gabbard: 5% (new)
• Ben Carson: 4% (-2)
• Nikki Haley:… pic.twitter.com/R3GwBBERu9— InteractivePolls (@IAPolls2022) May 7, 2024
But it turns out Burgum’s odds may be even greater than that.
Trump recently flew with Burgum on Trump Force One to the massive rally in Wildwood, New Jersey, where a reported 100,000 supporters attended.
Burgum spoke briefly to the crowd, saying working with Trump was “like having a beautiful breeze at your back.”
Burgum also blasted Biden’s socialist regulatory regime for choking off economic growth and raising gas prices by declaring war on the American energy industry.
“President Trump respects state’s rights. He cut regulation. He lowered taxes,” Burgum added. “Working under the Biden regulatory regime is like having a gale-force wind in your face.”
Trump heaps praise on Burgum
For his part, Trump praised Burgum, saying, “He probably knows more about energy than anybody I know.”
Energy policy will serve as a major focus of the election and in a second Trump administration.
Trump said on day one that he plans to end Biden’s Green New Deal scam and throw off the shackles Biden slapped on the American energy sector.
But then Trump went even further.
The massive crowd provided the setting for a dramatic moment, and Trump sounded like he was getting ready to endorse Burgum as his running mate before thinking better of it.
“So, get ready for something, okay? Just get ready,” Trump told the crowd.
The pluses and minuses of picking Doug Burgum
Trump’s ahead in the polls and doesn’t need a dynamic Vice-Presidential pick to shake up the race.
If anything, Trump needs a boring, no drama selection to signal to suburban voters and donors that Trump intends to focus on his agenda once in office.
Trump also reportedly doesn’t want to anoint a successor with his running mate pick and hand someone a massive head start for 2028.
Burgum – an anonymous, normal Governor no one ever heard of previously – checks all those boxes.
And he’s been a loyal soldier, speaking around the country as a Trump surrogate.
But there are potentially big downsides too.
Burgum – even though he signed a law protecting life after six weeks – is more associated with the GOP establishment.
While Trump needs to unite the party and extend an olive branch to skeptical voters, Burgum has long been in favor of increasing immigration into the United States.
In an interview during the 2024 campaign, Burgum complained it was too difficult to import cheap foreign labor into the country.
“We put them through two, three, four, five years of red tape, and then we let people illegally cross the southern border, so the two things juxtaposed against each other make no sense,” Burgum stated.
Burgum also signed legislation creating an immigration office to help companies import foreign labor to drive down wages for American citizens and take their jobs.
“The immigration office will develop a pilot program to support businesses pursuing or employing legal immigrants and help communities develop plans and activities to integrate immigrants. The office also may contract with other state agencies and private organizations to develop and administer programs or services related to bringing legal immigrants into the state’s workforce, including those already in the United States. The bill includes authorization and funding for two additional Commerce team members to administer the office,” a press release announcing the new initiative read.
And even in his home state of North Dakota, Burgum is no favorite of the Trump faithful.
He wasn’t even elected a delegate to the National Convention at the North Dakota Republican State Convention.
Doug Burgum is by no means a done deal as Trump’s running mate.
Informed American will keep you up-to-date on any developments to this ongoing story.
