Trump eyes Marco Rubio as potential presidential running mate

Former President Donald Trump is seriously considering Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), a Cuban-American, as a potential presidential running mate.

According to NBC News, Rubio is quickly gaining ground on former President Trump's list of potential presidential candidates.

Although the report clarifies that Rubio is not alone in the race, since the list is quite broad, the senator has a profile that "hints at the former president's priorities and presents an intriguing set of potential complications," according to six sources familiar with Trump's list.

"Rubio is young and telegenic, he's spent more time in federal office than Vice President Kamala Harris, and, at a time when Trump is bullish on his chances of winning over Latino voters, he would be the first non-white person ever to make a Republican presidential ticket," reads NBC News.

According to sources cited by the outlet, Rubio, 52, is a young and energetic option who has spent more time in federal office than Vice President Kamala Harris. Additionally, the profile of being the son of working-class Cuban immigrants looks good when telling a story on paper and television, representing a powerful combination for Trump.

However, according to the United States Constitution, there is a tangible problem with this formula: both politicians reside in Florida, and the Magna Carta, in Article II, Section I, Clause 3, explicitly says that "The Electors shall meet in their respective States, and vote by Ballot for two Persons, of whom one at least shall not be an Inhabitant of the same State with themselves."

"It's pretty clear from Trump's orbit that Rubio is in play," a Florida Republican operative told the outlet. "It makes sense because he checks almost every box if they can get past both being from Florida."

In any case, overcoming this obstacle is not difficult: in 2000, Texan Dick Cheney changed his residence to Wyoming so he could run with George W. Bush, also from Texas.

Although Trump has downplayed his election of a vice president candidate in different interviews, arguing that his running mates do not tip the balance on election day, his campaign team is planning to test different Republicans on the slate at rallies and campaign events to evaluate their performance.

In addition, according to NBC News, Trump's team is seriously evaluating a quality Rubio has demonstrated in his career as a politician: the ability to raise funds.

Rubio has had good fundraising numbers in practically all of his electoral campaigns, both for president in 2016 and for senator in other years. In addition, he just comfortably won a third term in the 2022 midterms against Democrat Val Demings.