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00:00Fox News alert, breaking details on Donald Trump's search for vice president.
00:05Reports out tonight that say the Trump campaign has begun the process of formally requesting
00:11information from a small group of potential running mates.
00:15The vetting process has begun.
00:17The potential candidates are North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, Florida Senator Marco
00:23Rubio, and Ohio Senator J.D. Vance.
00:27Other people are still likely being considered, but this initial outreach suggests that these
00:32men are on the top of Trump's list.
00:35Other potential running mates, like Tim Scott, have been vetted, but not to the level of
00:40Burgum, Rubio, and Vance.
00:42Donald Trump says he plans to make his VP pick announcement closer to the Republican
00:47National Convention in July.
00:50Chief political anchor and executive editor of The Special Report, Brett Baer, joins me
00:55now.
00:56So Brett, this Burgum movement is real.
00:59Apparently the Trump people were really impressed by how he went to the courthouse to defend
01:05the president.
01:06What are you hearing?
01:07Yeah, Jesse, good evening.
01:10The Burgum movement is real.
01:12Paperwork is being exchanged, and you're right to point to those top three.
01:16They definitely are under consideration for VP, but sources are telling us that that
01:22list is a little longer than that.
01:25They're in a different phase now.
01:27They're in the serious vetting, but it also includes Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton.
01:32It includes, as you mentioned, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, New York Congresswoman
01:36Elise Stefanik, Florida Congressman Byron Donalds, and even former presidential candidate
01:42and former HUD secretary, Dr. Ben Carson.
01:46So the list is a little bit longer than just the three, but they are narrowing down.
01:52And to your point, I don't think this is going to finish up until right before, even
01:57at the convention, according to sources we talked to.
02:00There's always drama when it comes to these things.
02:02Rubio, Brett, I mean, I thought he was a resident of Florida.
02:08Isn't that a constitutional issue?
02:11It is.
02:12Well, I mean, you don't want to lose Florida, and technically, one of them would have to
02:18move out.
02:19So like we saw with Dick Cheney.
02:20I don't think it's Trump.
02:21I don't think it's Trump.
02:22So you would have to, you'd have to change that, and that would have to be something
02:26that they would agree to.
02:28But clearly, to get on that ticket, not only Rubio, but Byron Donalds would have to do
02:33that as well.
02:34What do you see as the advantages electorally for each of these top three candidates?
02:40Well, let's say you're looking at Burgum.
02:43He's a businessman, very successful.
02:46He's a governor.
02:47He is well-versed in energy issues, and the presidency has a lot of fondness for him.
02:54Rubio obviously has a lot of international experience.
02:57He is Hispanic, and he has run for president, and Vance has a particular relationship with
03:06the president.
03:07He doesn't, you know, regionally, he doesn't need Vance in Ohio.
03:11It's a pretty solid red state, but it does fit his loyalty and somebody that he could
03:17see working with.
03:19There's others on that list, and I would just be careful to limit it to those three, because
03:24as we've seen with the former president, there's a lot of intrigue and possibilities that pop
03:30up before you get to the convention.
03:32And it's also personal chemistry.
03:33We know how much personal chemistry means to the president.
03:38What about DeSantis?
03:39That name was not on there.
03:41When Johnny goes out and interviews people, people still mention DeSantis as a name.
03:47Is that out, or is that a crazy option?
03:51I think it's not on the list that I've talked to several people as of tonight, and the list
03:56that I just gave you, including the three that you started with, is where their headspace
04:01is, as far as turning over paper.
04:03I know that Governor DeSantis is working hard to fundraise for the former president, and
04:08they have mended ways since the primary.
04:11A lot of mending needed to be done, but it's been a good road, apparently.
04:15How important is this pick?
04:18Because this is a four-year deal.
04:20There's no more Trump after four years.
04:22Whoever he's choosing gives him a huge on-ramp to run for president after that.
04:27That person could start running for president if Trump's reelected and after the inauguration
04:33start getting feelers out.
04:34What is that going to look like?
04:38I argue that this is a really important pick.
04:40Most times it's not.
04:41I think that this time it is sending a signal of stability to Republican voters.
04:47You want to be able to say, we as a ticket are going to run, and then the future of the
04:52Republican Party is likely this person that you choose, because, as you note, that will
04:58be the way forward.
05:01It is Donald Trump that's running this whole thing.
05:04He doesn't, I think, and he's talked about this openly, doesn't think the VP choice is
05:09that big.
05:10I would argue it's a little bit bigger this time, in this circumstance, especially considering
05:14what we just saw in Manhattan.
05:16No women there.
05:18That could change.
05:19At least Stefanik.
05:20Stefanik, okay.
05:21Not in the top tier, but again, that could change.
05:24Brett Baier, thank you so much for joining Jesse Waters Prime Time.
05:28You bet.