Inside Trump’s VP selection process: Formal vetting takes backseat to informal lobbying

Donald Trump's search for a new running mate in 2024 has been freewheeling and informal so far, with none of the questionnaires, detailed financial disclosures or formal interviews of past vice presidential searches — no noticeable signs of a detailed vetting process, at least not yet.

Instead, the vice presidential candidates seeking to share the GOP ticket with their party's presumptive nominee are engaging in an informal dance with the Trump campaign, trying to be helpful and catch the former president’s attention whenever possible.

Much of it is playing out in public, with many of the front-runner candidates visiting the former president at the courthouse in New York City where he's on trial facing charges stemming from allegations he paid hush money to an adult film actress to conceal an affair. Potential VP candidates also have been appearing with Trump at campaign events and defending him on television.

Behind the scenes, the private jockeying to be Trump's running mate includes phone calls with the former president and efforts by surrogates to promote favored candidates but no formal discussions about the job or requests for personal information from the candidates yet, according to four people with knowledge of the VP search who spoke with USA TODAY on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive topic.

“I think the trial pushed back a lot of this,” said one individual who is close to the Trump campaign, adding that the former president’s process for picking a running mate so far has been “informal, best I can tell.”

“As far as I know there’s been no formal vetting or anything like that,” added another individual with knowledge of how the VP selection process is playing out.

The casual approach to the VP search so far belies the gravity of the choice, with the individual not only second in line to the presidency if Trump wins, but also the instant frontrunner to win the GOP nomination in 2028. Even if Trump loses, his running mate likely would be a major contender for the GOP nomination in the next presidential cycle.

Trump's choice of then-Indiana Gov. Mike Pence to be his running mate in 2016 proved momentous, with Pence breaking with Trump and certifying the 2020 election won by Joe Biden. There was considerable uncertainty eight years ago about Trump's VP pick up until the day Pence was announced, which came shortly before that GOP convention in Cleveland.

Pence of course is long gone from Trump's orbit, having run unsuccessfully against his former boss in the 2024 Republican primaries. Trump has said he plans to announce his running mate around the time of this year's convention where he'll formally accept the GOP nomination, which kicks off July 15 in Milwaukee.

Trump adviser Susie Wiles leading VP search

Trump’s VP candidates haven’t been asked to turn over any documents or engage in any formal vetting process yet, sources told USA TODAY, but that may come later.

That stands in sharp contrast to another recent Republican nominee: Mitt Romney, the party's 2012 pick who had his VP prospects fill out an 80-question survey and sign a form releasing personal information.

Romney had attorneys digging into VP candidates' backgrounds. It's not clear if the Trump campaign is doing anything similar yet, but if so it hasn't involved the candidates in the process, sources told USA TODAY.

Detailed vetting often is done by presidential campaigns to avoid any surprises in an individual's background that could prove controversial. Trump tends to operate less formally and more by gut instinct, though, which has blown up on him at times.

Some of his nominees as president had past controversies that later emerged and caused him considerable political headaches, including Brett Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court and some of Trump's Cabinet and sub-Cabinet picks.

There doesn't appear to be a "sense of urgency" within the Trump campaign about the VP pick yet, according to an individual close to the process.

"I think they are still in some of those early stages," the individual said. "I think they have other priorities they’ve been focused on to date and I think as a result everything’s kind of been pushed back a bit and we’re just not quite there yet.”

The jockeying behind-the-scenes for the VP spot has been relatively “quiet” recently, the individual added.

“Not a ton of movement,” the person said.

Top Trump campaign adviser Susie Wiles is coordinating the campaign’s search for a running mate, according to multiple sources.

“I think Susie’s probably the one whose most closely involved with this on a day-to-day basis in making sure the process gets played out,” said an individual with knowledge of the VP race.

In response to a series of questions about Trump's process for picking a running mate, spokesman Brian Hughes said: "Anyone claiming to know who or when President Trump will choose his VP is lying, unless the person is named Donald J. Trump."

Trump allies have their favorites for VP

Some of the VP candidates have been staying in touch with Trump and Wiles through phone calls or texts, while also seeking to catch their eyes with television and other appearances.

Many of the contenders also have surrogates lobbying on their behalf.

Leading figures in Trump’s orbit have their favorites among the top VP candidates, who include North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Florida U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, South Carolina U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, Ohio U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance, New York Congresswoman Elise Stefanik and others.

Trump’s campaign is stocked with Florida operatives, including Wiles, who have known Rubio for years. Wiles is believed to favor Rubio for the VP spot, according to multiple sources.

Meanwhile, Vance has a close relationship with the former president’s oldest child, Donald Trump Jr., and recently appeared on his Rumble show. Former Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway has been advocating for Scott to be the VP pick, according to the Daily Beast.

An individual with knowledge of recent private comments Trump made about the VP contenders said “definitely Marco is in the mix in a strong way, (Arkansas U.S. Sen.) Tom Cotton in the mix in a strong way, I think J.D. Vance (is in the mix), I don’t know about Burgum… I do think Tim Scott is alive.”

“I know Kristi Noem is not in the mix anymore, no shocker,” the individual added, referring to the South Dakota governor who attracted controversy for writing about killing her dog.

Former presidential candidate and United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley was floated as a potential VP pick, but Trump quickly shot it down. Haley came out Wednesday and said she will vote for Trump, inching back toward his orbit after refusing to endorse him for months after dropping out of the race.

Trump's campaign is paying close attention to what the VP candidates are saying in public and will offer feedback on TV interviews, according to a source.

Vance, Burgum, former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and U.S. Rep Byron Donalds are among the VP contenders who have traveled to New York to defend Trump outside the courthouse where he is on trial.

Burgum also warmed up the crowd for Trump at rallies in New Jersey and Minnesota recently.

“I think it’s sort of an audition to see how they are on the stump and see how they are in interviews and see how they pushback on interviewers and see how publicly loyal they can be to him,” said an individual close to the Trump campaign.

“But at the same time," this person said, "I think he also just enjoys watching it play out, he enjoys the dynamic of all of these people competing with each other for his attention… He enjoys 'The Apprentice' of it all.”