In recent news, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) reportedly made a failed attempt to convince former President Donald Trump to select Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) over Senator JD Vance as his vice-presidential candidate.
What Happened: Graham tried to sway Trump’s VP choice towards Rubio while on Trump’s plane heading to the Republican National Convention. Graham believed that Rubio would attract more votes in swing states, Business Insider reported on Tuesday.
Among those trying to dissuade Trump from choosing Vance were senators, donors, conservative media personalities, and other supporters. This comes amid Vance’s early campaign challenges, including defending remarks he made in 2021 criticizing “childless cat ladies.”
Despite these efforts, Trump’s spokesperson, Steven Cheung, confirmed that the former president is “thrilled with the choice he made with Senator Vance to be his running mate.”
Why It Matters: The disagreement between Graham and Vance, particularly over Ukraine aid, highlights the different factions within the GOP. Graham, a traditional GOP defense hawk, has strongly advocated for more weapons for Ukraine, while Vance has opposed the aid in the Senate.
Vance’s campaign has been described as “cruel and chaotic” by fellow Ohio Rep. Greg Landsman (R-Ohio). Speculation about Vance being replaced due to underwhelming polling and the growing momentum of Vice President Kamala Harris has been circulating.
Text messages revealing Vance’s past criticisms of Trump, the police, and the GOP have also surfaced, adding to the controversy.
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This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Pooja Rajkumari
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