This week, Trump revealed six names he claims are on his short list for his running mate. Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.), Vivek Ramaswamy, Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), Gov. Kristi Noem (R-S.D.), and even former Hawaii Democrat Tulsi Gabbard were on the list.
I'm telling you right now, you won't see a Trump-DeSantis ticket.
For sure, it would be a solid ticket, and it would be a great way for DeSantis to lay the foundation for a 2028 presidential campaign. But as great as that would be, put those fantasies to bed because there's no way it will happen.
And for sure, DeSantis's denials are the least convincing of the reasons.
“People were mentioning me [as a potential vice president]. I am not doing that,” DeSantis told delegates in a thank-you call. “I know some people are really actively seeking it. It seems to me, just from watching kind of the body language and stuff, that you have a handful of folks who seem to be auditioning for it."
The New York Post obtained an audio recording of the call, in which DeSantis also suggested what Trump might be looking for in a running mate.
“I think my criteria [for running mate] was different than what probably Donald Trump’s criteria will be,” he continued. “My criteria was, basically, I need someone who can do the job if it came to that, and I would have been the third-youngest president elected, so chances are, actuarily, I would probably be in pretty good shape, but you never know what else can happen, it’s happened before.”
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While his explanation is fine and good, I think there are other practical reasons for him not to be Trump's running mate. For one thing, as a governor with a great record of winning in his state, it's hard to see him wanting to fill the notoriously unfulfilling role of vice president, where he won't have any real power to shape administration policy.
“I think I’m probably more of an executive guy,” DeSantis told Newsmax last year. “I think that you want to be able to do things. That’s part of the reason I got into this job because we have action. We can make things happen, and I think that’s probably what I am best suited for.”
Being Trump's vice president is a recipe for disaster for him, as he'd likely find it difficult to not make his mark in the White House with the notoriously egotistical Trump. Besides, such a situation also comes with real risks.
There aren't many people who served in the Trump administration who are still on good terms with him, including his vice president, Mike Pence. If DeSantis is considering a 2028 run — which I don't doubt that he is — it's probably best not to be in a position where he will most certainly butt heads with Trump.
But there's another factor here that trumps all others: the 12th Amendment, which states, "The Electors shall meet in their respective states, and vote by ballot for President and Vice-President, one of whom, at least, shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves." This is widely interpreted to mean that a ticket can't have candidates hailing from the same state.
It's also the reason why Dick Cheney had to officially change his residency from Texas to Wyoming in 2000 — yet Democrats still mounted a legal challenge after the election. Trump has already changed his residency from New York to Florida, and DeSantis wouldn't change his residency to be on the ticket even if he wasn't the sitting governor of Florida. Nor would Trump change his residency to accommodate a running mate. So let's put an end to this discussion. It's not going to happen.
