Rupert Murdoch, fellow billionaires push Trump for VP pick as pundits battle over who's best for the job

Billionaires, including Rupert Murdoch, are in a rush to tell former President Donald Trump who to pick as his vice president.

In Murdoch's case, the choice is clear: Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, according to sources who spoke to CNBC.

For other billionaires, the options are completely different.

“Ike Perlmutter, the billionaire former chairman of Marvel Entertainment, told Trump he thinks the former president should pick New York Rep. Elise Stefanik,” CNBC reported Wednesday.

“Trump's billionaire real estate backers have told the former president's advisers they like South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott,” the report continues.

Trump's strategic VP pick: Who would 'seed the Democrats' and who would 'turn out Republicans' https://t.co/r0V4lVDvap

— BPR (@BIZPACReview) April 22, 2024

Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison has also introduced Scott to Trump.

Then there's Senator Marco Rubio, who is obviously popular with a large contingent on the right.

“Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio's popularity was on display last weekend at the Four Seasons in Palm Beach, where wealthy Republicans gathered for the Republican National Committee's spring meeting,” notes CNBC.

“One person who attended the retreat said Rubio was clearly the most desirable speaker for donors to pose for 'hold and smile' photos. Other VP candidates at the weekend gathering included Stefanik, Scott and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum. The retreat also included a lunch at Mar-a-Lago with Trump,” according to CNBC.

This passion for Trump's potential VP pick also backfires, as there are certain VP hopefuls that billionaires really, really aren't feeling.

“I would imagine that some of Trump's trade agenda is quite troubling to a lot of donors, and they would expect someone there to offer a different perspective on a 10% tariff across the board,” said Marc Short, the former head of the former president's cabinet. Mike Pence, he told CNBC, highlighting one of Trump's most populist economic proposals.

In fact, according to CNBC, they are particularly concerned about Senator JD Vance and businessman/former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.

“Widely seen as a serious contender in the 'complicated stakes,' Vance is an Ivy League-educated populist who supports higher tariffs and aggressive business regulation,” CNBC notes.

Megyn Kelly 'definitely knows how Trump thinks', says potential VP pick won't make MAGA happy https://t.co/mSSfEnWnNc road @BIZPACRevision

— Based on BPR (@DumpstrFireNews) January 19, 2024

Opposition to Ramaswamy runs even deeper, with an anonymous GOP lobby group claiming donors have threatened to pull all their support from the Republican Party if he is chosen as vice president.

“Good God, if it's him, I'm out,” is his message to Trump and other members of the GOP, according to the lobbyist.

Meanwhile, other donors are focused on weeding out a potential vice president who could help Trump win re-election — someone, for example, who is good at fundraising, a crucial need for the former president.

“Trump has struggled to keep up with President Joe Biden's fundraising juggernaut,” notes CNBC. “In March, the former president's campaign raised $15 million, while Biden's re-election campaign brought in $43 million, according to Federal Election Commission records.”

The three candidates that most come to mind in terms of their fundraising abilities are Rubio, Stefanik, Scott and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum. All three have been introduced to Trump because of their ties to top business leaders, ties that could help raise funds.

“Burgum could even help self-fund Trump's campaign, as he did for his own bid in the Republican primary for president,” according to CNBC. “Rubio, Stefanik and Scott also have their own fundraising networks and could bring something even more valuable to Trump's fundraising operation: new donors.”

There is also the donor factor.

“Trump is very transactional, so having a close relationship with Trump's vice president gives you leverage from donors,” said Short, Pence's former chief of staff.

For example, if a donor close to the vice president were concerned about trade and tariffs, he could, according to Short, say to the White House, “I want to at least be heard before I move on to trade policy.”

Don Jr. says he wants “a fighter” to be dad's VP, throws out three blockbuster names https://t.co/0ojA7qxcSb road @BIZPACRevision

— Based on BPR (@DumpstrFireNews) March 23, 2024

There is a catch, though.

“Now that Trump has served one term as president, he's comfortable navigating Washington politics on his own,” notes CNBC. “As a result, if he is elected for a second term, he may not turn to his vice president for guidance as much as he did during his first term.”

“I think he leaned heavily on Pence because he didn't have that experience in D.C. And now he feels like he already has that experience and thinks he doesn't need that asset of a vice president,” Short explained.

He also won't be looking for someone to “build bridges to businesses,” CNBC argues.

“On the contrary, he is more likely to prioritize a No. 2 who he believes will be unwaveringly loyal to him. Trump has often complained that he felt betrayed on January 6, 2021, when Pence refused to block the certification of the 2020 election results,” the site notes.

That said, the former president is not expected to formally reveal his choice for vice president until July.

Senior Staff Writer
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V. Saxena is a writer for BizPac Review with a decade of experience as a professional writer and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University.

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