Wildcards: Could Trump surprise us with his VP running mate?

Donald Trump has been teasing his vice presidential pick for weeks, but with the Republican National Convention kicking off next week, he’s likely to make it official — and soon.

Right now, the front-runners appear to be Sens. Marco Rubio and JD Vance, along with North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum. But what about the contenders who aren’t grabbing headlines yet remain on Trump’s radar? Here is everything you need to know about the dark-horse candidates.

Nikki Haley: We know, we know, the former governor of South Carolina and Trump’s former ambassador to the UN fired shots at the former president as his main opponent in the primary. But just because she once challenged him doesn’t mean she wouldn’t be a valuable running mate.

A major question for Trump’s campaign is how to win back the moderates, independents, and suburban voters who backed Haley and could swing to the Democrats.

How better than to get the woman herself on his side? That being said, although Haley ultimately threw her support behind him, Trump isn’t known for forgiveness — and her team says she wasn’t even invited to the RNC.

“Haley is Trump’s best chance at expanding the field beyond the 312 electoral votes Trump could take from the currently competitive states,” says Eurasia Groups US managing director Jon Lieber. “He won’t pick her, but if he did, it’s a chance to say this is a New Trump with an establishment Republican serving alongside him.”

Sarah Huckabee Sanders: The governor of Arkansas gained Trump’s trust when she served as his second White House press secretary, unwaveringly defending the former president’s decisions in the Oval Office. But at 41 and newly ascendant to political office, Sanders falls short in governing experience.

Byron Donalds: Donalds is a representative from Florida and a vocal supporter of Trump. He’s also a key surrogate in Trump’s efforts to reach Black voters. That being said, Donalds doesn’t have much of a national profile, and his MAGA politics — including outspoken support for abortion restrictions and denial of the 2020 election — could turn off independent voters.

Ivanka Trump: There have been murmurs that Trump has considered keeping it in the family and choosing his daughter Ivanka as his VP running mate. But this is likely just a rumor as Ivanka has said she won't be back for round two.

Tulsi Gabbard: Gabbard is a 41-year-old former House member from Hawaii, a veteran, and — gasp— a former Democratic congresswoman. She endorsed Bernie Sanders in 2016, mounted her own long-shot presidential campaign in 2020, and then left the Democratic Party to become an independent in 2022.

She has drawn the attention of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.and Donald Trump. Her magic is that she could attract young voters, independents, and maybe even some disenchanted Democrats to the ticket. But she is relatively unknown nationally and has a record of voting against Trump in the House.

Kristi Noem: The governor of South Dakota and former House member, came to Congress in the 2010 tea party wave. She gained notoriety in conservative circles when she refused to close South Dakota businesses during the pandemic and is tight with Trump. But her hard-line opposition to abortion could cost Trump on the campaign trail. Plus, she comes with baggage — namely, her bizarre description in her memoir of having killed her dog and a goat.

“Noem ended her national ambitions with a story in her book about killing a puppy,” says Lieber. “If there’s one thing that doesn’t play well in national politics, it’s puppy killing.”

Vivek Ramaswamy: Ramaswamy gained national attention with his campaign for president this election cycle. He is a wealthy founder of a drug investment company, which could help fund a general election campaign operation. Plus, he would bring youth to the ticket and be an energetic surrogate for Trump on the campaign trail.

But his lack of political experience — and lack of appeal to moderate voters — makes it more likely that he would be considered for a cabinet position.