Melania Trump's 'Stealth' Influence on Donald Trump's VP Pick

Courtney Considine I
June 19, 2024 03:03am
125

Former First Lady Melania Trump is expected to have a significant influence on who her husband, former President Donald Trump, selects as his running mate for the 2024 presidential election.

Former First Lady Melania Trump has historically played a "super stealth" surrogate role for her husband, former President Donald Trump, and this is expected to continue in his selection of a running mate for the 2024 presidential election. According to a former White House insider, Melania "will most certainly speak her mind" regarding her preferences. This is not a new phenomenon, as she played a pivotal role in ensuring a "clean" and "safe" candidate was chosen for the 2016 election.

In her book "First in Line: Presidents, Vice Presidents and the Pursuit of Power," Kate Andersen Brower noted that Melania prioritized candidates with "no affairs and no messy financial entanglements." This led to her support for former Vice President Mike Pence, who served as Trump's running mate in both the 2016 and 2020 elections. Pence was seen as having "absolutely no skeletons."

Melania Trump's 'Stealth' Influence on Donald Trump's VP Pick

Although it is still unclear who Trump will select for 2024, a recent report highlighted his relationship with North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and his family. Melania has worked closely with Burgum's wife, Kathryn, and they have bonded on issues such as workplace recovery and criminal justice reform.

The insider revealed that Melania was particularly influential in offering suggestions to her husband on issues of public perception and trust. She is considered to have played a role behind the scenes similar to Nancy Reagan, providing input on decisions that affected public perception and advocacy during the Trump presidency.

Melania Trump's 'Stealth' Influence on Donald Trump's VP Pick

In a recent interview, Trump acknowledged that he has "sort of a pretty good idea" of who his vice presidential running mate will be. However, he is expected to delay the public announcement until the Republican National Convention this summer.

In the meantime, Melania's views on the potential candidates are likely to be closely scrutinized, as she may hold significant sway in her husband's decision. Her influence, operating under the radar, is indicative of her "super stealth" role as a trusted advisor to the former president.