Kevin McCarthy Says Trump's Going To Play The Veepstakes Like 'The Apprentice'

During the Milken Institute Global Conference on Monday, former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) provided a fascinating glimpse into presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump's upcoming decision on a running mate for the November election. He intriguingly compared the VP auditioning process to an episode of 'The Apprentice.'

McCarthy, while ruling himself out of the VP race, identified several candidates who could potentially make a significant impact as Trump's second in command. "Tim Scott would bring a lot to the table. People often mention Marco Rubio, but I believe they overlook our Constitution. You can't come from the same state," the former Republican leader emphasized. 

Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND), the longshot presidential candidate and billionaire who has been a popular Trump surrogate in recent months, was also mentioned by McCarthy as a possible contender. "Trump really likes him. He's successful in business — he admires that. Not going to upstage him. Stable," he said.

"I think Trump's gonna play this like 'The Apprentice.' He's going to play it out. He's going to make you join Truth [Social]," McCarthy said, per POLITICO. "And whoever you think's in the lead, somebody's going to come up from behind. It's going to make great television."

One of those contenders, Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), went on television on Sunday to discuss a recent donor retreat in Palm Beach, Florida, that many considered to be an opening audition for vice president. 

The event included prominent guests like Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), Sen. Martha Blackburn (R-TN), Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND), Gov. Kristi Noem (R-SD), Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-TX), and Rep. Michael Waltz (R-FL). Despite the lineup, Scott revealed that there was no mention of who would be the 45th president's running mate.

"I certainly didn't bring it up," Scott said. "I'm excited that in this nation, a poor kid from South Carolina can rise to the level of being a United States senator. It just tells me that all things are possible for kids growing up in poverty today to listen to this show and know that all things are possible for your future."

The South Carolina senator then explained that a large portion of the event revolved around the various issues created by the Biden administration, including a struggling economy, brought about by Bidenomics. "We had a lot of conversations around the room about the importance of eliminating Bidenomics, about the importance of getting inflation back down to 2%," he told the NBC host. "We were just better off under President Trump."

While President Trump clearly hasn't settled yet on who he wants to join him on the GOP ticket, McCarthy's insights into the veepstakes prove vital for anyone trying to ascertain what Team Trump is thinking about a running mate. The former House leader has had ample experience working with Trump, and his choices of Sen. Scott and Gov. Burgum are very plausible.

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