| | | | |  | | By Brakkton Booker | With help from Ella Creamer, Rishika Dugyala, Jesse Naranjo and Teresa Wiltz
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Donald Trump in the coming weeks is expected to make his vice presidential pick. | POLITICO illustration/Photo by AP | What up, Recast fam! Hunter Biden is found guilty in his federal gun trial. And Democratic Maryland Gov. Wes Moore stumps for Democratic gubernatorial nominee Josh Stein today in North Carolina. Today, we’re looking at the folks vying to be the GOP vice presidential candidate… In about a month’s time, Donald Trump is expected to select his No. 2 on the Republican presidential ticket. It was revealed last week that at least eight politicians made the Don’s short list, sparking broad speculation about how each of those picks could shore up perceived weaknesses to the presumptive Republican nominee. What’s remarkable about Trump’s publicly known short list is that half of those on the list are politicians of color. This is keeping in line with my reporting from last year on the historic number of candidates of color seeking the GOP nomination. When The Recast asked the Trump campaign to weigh in on this phenomenon, here’s what Brian Hughes, a senior adviser, said in a statement: “President Trump's movement is welcoming historic levels of support from Black Americans, including some of the nation's most important Black elected officials and thought leaders. But at this time, anyone claiming to know who or when President Trump will choose his VP is lying, unless the person is named Donald J. Trump.”
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With that said, we’ll focus on the likely contenders, plus two bonus folks whose names haven’t been bandied about as much — but maybe should be. To those looking for mentions of Sens. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) or North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum... our sincerest apologies.
The Stars Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.)
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Florida Rep. Byron Donalds preps for an interview at the Capitol, May 1, 2024. | Francis Chung/POLITICO | The upside: He found himself in the media crosshairs following his comments at a Black voter outreach event in Philly where he waxed poetic about the Black nuclear family remaining together at higher rates under the Jim Crow era, compared to present day. While last week’s comments may be disqualifying to most vice presidential contenders, Donalds’ willingness to seemingly double down on this notion and defend it on liberal-leaning cable shows such as “The ReidOut” shows he embodies a combative style that resonates with some GOP voters who value hard-nosed politics. Donalds has long been seen as a rising star in GOP circles, who not once, but twice threw his name into the mix to become House speaker last year. He remains a top Trump surrogate, appearing alongside the former president last month for his rally in the Bronx that attracted larger numbers of Black and Latino attendees than a typical Trump rally. The downside: He’s got very little experience being in charge and has never held a legislative leadership position, whether that is in Congress or during his four years in the Florida Legislature. Yes, many in the GOP believe Donalds can help Trump win over Black voters, but as I pointed out last week, that is a big question mark. Donalds represents a congressional district that is roughly 6.3 percent Black, according to the Census Bureau, so he has little track record demonstrating he can pull large swaths of Black voters into the GOP tent. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.)
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Florida Sen. Marco Rubio departs a vote at the U.S. Capitol, March 22, 2024. | AP | The upside: This pick would represent a most remarkable mending of fences between Trump and Florida’s senior senator. In 2016, when both were seeking the GOP nomination, he and Trump got into a nasty war of words, with Rubio referring to the eventual president as a “con man” while also making snarky comments about the size of his hands. That was eight years ago. With Trump’s successful MAGA makeover of the Republican Party, picking Rubio would be a sign that they’re burying the hatchet once and for all. Rubio has, in recent weeks, shifted toward Trump, even sidestepping a question on whether he’d accept the result of the 2024 election. The charismatic and telegenic Rubio could help Trump connect with Latino voters outside of Florida (which will likely go for Trump anyway) and stretch this potential ticket’s appeal to present-day swing states including Nevada and Arizona, which could make the difference for Republicans winning back the White House. The downside: For all Rubio’s positives, being from Florida presents a challenge. Trump switched his residency to the Sunshine State in 2019, which complicates things when it comes to the Electoral College. The Constitution doesn’t outright prohibit the vice president and president from being from the same state, but there is a clause in the 12th Amendment that some interpret to mean electors can’t vote for both candidates. It will likely be the third-term, Miami-born senator who would have to change. As The Bulwark’s Marc Caputo reported Trump as saying: “Marco has this residency problem.” This is also a Byron Donalds problem. The Head Scratchers Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) | 
South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott speaks with journalists after the third 2024 Republican presidential primary debate, Nov. 8, 2023, in Miami. | Francis Chung/POLITICO | The upside: You’d find it hard to find anyone who doesn’t like Tim Scott, regardless of political ideology. He’s considered an all-around nice dude who counts even some Democrats as friends. He could certainly soften some of the rough edges that Trump boldly flaunts, and like Trump’s previous VP, he has a strong Christian faith. That may help those who may be turned off by Trump’s conviction last month for falsifying documents to cover up hush money payments to a porn star ahead of the 2016 election. The downside: Scott did himself no favors with his lackluster performance as a presidential candidate, failing to really pop during a series of GOP debates last year. Plus, he is from South Carolina, a state that Trump has no threat of losing. But what about helping Trump with Black voters? Well, that’s a huge question mark. A Scott-aligned super PAC launched a Black voter outreach initiative and is pledging to spend $14 million on the effort before Election Day, as I reported last week. While the initiative is notable, there are some who remain skeptical that this effort is robust enough to make a significant impact this election cycle. Ben Carson, former HUD secretary
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Former HUD Secretary Ben Carson speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference, Feb. 22, 2024, in Oxon Hill, Maryland. | Jose Luis Magana/AP | The upside: The former Housing and Urban Development secretary remains one of Trump’s most loyal and respected allies. The retired pediatric neurosurgeon has a remarkable life story: He grew up poor in Detroit and became renowned for performing groundbreaking surgery separating conjoined twins attached at the head. He’s peerless when it comes to his appeal to evangelical voters and has been a conservative darling ever since he demonstrated his willingness to criticize then-President Barack Obama at a 2013 National Prayer Breakfast. He’s also expressed an eagerness to debate Vice President Kamala Harris should he be selected. The downside: Carson's mild demeanor could be a handicap. He’s so soft-spoken that at times he’s barely audible — even when speaking into a microphone. That might be a negative for someone like Trump who seems to favor vociferous surrogates who are willing to mix it up with interviewers and political opponents alike. Plus, he shares the same hurdles as Scott and Donalds when it comes to attracting Black voters. While Carson was once considered a hero among Black Americans, his critique of Obama more than a decade ago forever besmirched his reputation among some in this voting bloc. Honorable Mentions Nikki Haley, former South Carolina Republican governor and ex-U.N. Ambassador
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Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley speaks at a caucus night party in West Des Moines, Iowa, Jan. 15, 2024. | Carolyn Kaster/AP | The upside: Haley’s combination of domestic and foreign policy bona fides are unmatched on this list. Many view her as Trump’s best choice. For starters, there’s her strong debate performances during the GOP debates last year. And this year, she proved attractive to many GOP primary voters, racking up a sizable share of Republican voters, even months after suspending her campaign in March. The downside: During her presidential campaign Haley excoriated her former boss, reminding voters in one of her campaign ads that “the chaos that surrounds him is bad enough,” and referring to him as “awful” and “unhinged” when Trump mocked her husband for being absent from the campaign trail because he was deployed overseas. Politics is a contact sport, but things got quite personal during the recent GOP primary, and while Haley last month signaled she’d vote for Trump over Biden, she also said Trump has “not been perfect.” And 45 might just view that as disqualifying. Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) The upside: Once seen as a rising star in Democratic Party politics, even launching her own long-shot presidential run in 2020, Gabbard publicly broke with her party in 2022. In a video announcing her switch to being an independent, she referred to Democrats as being “under the complete control of an elitist cabal of warmongers who are driven by cowardly wokeness.” That earned her rave reviews from many Republicans who are also drawn to her service in the Hawaii Army National Guard and in Iraq in 2004. The downside: Even with her tilt toward conservatism in recent years, Gabbard possesses an independent streak that may clash with Trump’s demands for fealty. Her willingness to defend Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad and her once being all in for Bernie Sanders during his 2016 presidential campaign may be a bridge too far for Trump. Gabbard, for her part, said she would be “honored” to be his running mate. As always, we’ll be watching. All the best,
The Recast Team
| | | | ICYMI @ POLITICO
|  A woman walks her dog outside Simply Pure Dispensary in Denver. | Photos by Patrick Cavan Brown for POLITICO | Colorado’s Weed Market Up in Smoke — POLITICO’s Mona Zhang explores why the first state to legalize recreational weed is struggling to keep its cannabis market afloat. Biden Campaign Addresses Vulnerabilities — With less than five months before Election Day, Biden’s team is adjusting campaign tactics in an effort to alleviate concerns by many of the so-called bedwetters in the party who fret Biden isn’t doing enough to win in the fall, report POLITICO’s Adam Wren and Elena Schneider. Mondaire Jones Ain’t Sorry — Former member of Congress and OG Recast Power List nominee Mondaire Jones unleashed fury among progressives in recent days when he decided to endorse Rep. Jamaal Bowman’s challenger ahead of the June 25 primary race for New York's 16th Congressional District. POLITICO’s Emily Ngo breaks down why Jones has become persona non grata for many on the left.
| | | THE RECAST RECOMMENDS Voting for the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards begins Thursday. Prior to votes being cast, actor and comedian John Leguizamo penned an open letter to his peers urging them to nominate artists of color. Speaking of voting, check out this moving story from the AP about the Walker River Paiute Tribe pushing to expand their voting rights. In “One of Our Kind,” a new novel by Nicola Yoon, Jasmyn and King Williams move to a planned Black utopia in California, at the center of which is a luxe wellness center. While King settles in easily, Jasmyn is more skeptical about the community’s seeming perfection, and eventually uncovers a shocking secret about its founders. Hulu’s “Queenie,” based on the hit novel by Candice Carty-Williams, follows the eponymous Jamaican British heroine as she goes through a quarter-life crisis after a messy breakup.
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| Will Smith is back with the latest installment of his buddy comedy franchise “Bad Boys: Ride or Die,” his first major release since the Oscars slap. Mike Lowrey (played by Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) work to clear the name of a friend who has been posthumously framed for involvement in a cartel’s money laundering scheme. French-born Chilean rapper Ana Tijoux delivers a powerful Tiny Desk concert with her characteristic blend of propulsive beats and political commentary. K-pop group ATEEZ drops a surreal video for “Work” which sees band members buried alive, riding an ostrich and dancing atop skyscrapers.
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| TikTok of the Week: Looking good
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