Welcome to the online version of From the Political Bureauan evening newsletter featuring the latest reporting and analysis from the NBC News Politics team from the campaign trail, the White House and Capitol Hill.
In today’s edition, senior political reporters Allan Smith and Alex Seitz-Wald report on a candidate who is on both Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy’s VP lists. Plus, senior national politics reporter Jonathan Allen analyzes Trump’s growing campaign and legal money woes.
Trump and Kennedy Jr. have one name in common on their VP lists
By Allan Smith and Alex Seitz-Wald
There’s never a shortage of ambitious politicians eager to raise their hands (or let others do it for them) during the vice-presidential selection process. But even by usual standards, there’s already a wide range of unexpected and unconventional names in the mix for this year’s veepstakes.
NBC News reported that Senator Marco Rubio of Florida topped the list Donald Trump‘s potential running mates, which the former president estimated at 15 people. Rubio, who was mocked by Trump as “Little Marco” when they ran against each other in 2016, said it would be an “honor” if he were to get a spot on the ticket.
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Meanwhile, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. several contenders outside the political sphere were considered, including NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers and TV host Mike Rowe.
Now a new name has entered the fray – for both Trump and Kennedy.
Tulsi Gabbardthe former Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii, is being considered for both the Republican and independent presidential tickets, two sources familiar with the candidates’ deliberations told NBC News.
It’s a remarkable turnaround for the former progressive rising star, who in eight years went from supporting Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign in 2016 to running for the Democratic presidential nomination herself in 2020, ultimately endorsing Joe Biden. before then turning to the Democratic presidential candidate. right and became a regular conservative media personality and conference speaker.
It is also extremely rare for a politician to generate interest in more than one presidential ticket. But Gabbard’s options for 2024 are not entirely within her control, nor are they both equally likely.
As one source said, Gabbard would have been more likely to seriously consider becoming Kennedy’s vice presidential nominee if she had not been drawn in by the possibility of serving alongside Trump. This person said Gabbard was “enticed” by the chance to serve on Kennedy’s ticket but is now focusing on the possibility that Trump will select her.
Trump allies and insiders say that while she may get a look from the former president, she is an unlikely choice at best, though she could still land another role in the campaign or in a potential future administration.
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Trump’s money problems continue to pile up
Analysis by Jonathan Allen
Trump has a wealth of money problems.
For starters, his legal team told a court this week that financial institutions are generally unwilling to support a bond for the $464 million civil fraud judgment imposed against him and his co-conspirators in New York. This puts him at risk of having his property seized.
As if the liquidity crisis wasn’t bad enough, his campaign committee, which brings in the “hard” dollars most valuable to campaigns, isn’t raising enough either. At the end of February, Trump’s campaign had only $33.5 million available, compared to $71 million for Biden’s campaign.
Trump won while being outraised in 2016. He also lost that way in 2020. But he and his team understand they will need substantial money to compete effectively, even if he can’t match the Biden dollar.
Early next month, Trump plans to host a fundraiser with influential Republican donors, some of whom had distanced themselves from him before he clinched his third consecutive nomination this month. With joint fundraising deals in place with the Republican National Committee and state party committees, Trump will be able to collect checks worth more than $800,000 from individual donors. That should help him make up some of the difference.
But he still faces four criminal trials and several civil lawsuits that will surely continue to be a choke point on his campaign funds as long as he pays his lawyers through political means.
The big sells. initial public offering. From a campaign perspective, that may be too late for an infusion to fundamentally change the race. But almost any problem can be solved with several billion dollars.
For now, expect Trump to lag behind Biden in fundraising. But the real question is not whether he can keep up with his rival in the cash rush — he probably can’t — but whether he will allow himself to sink under the combined weight of legal debt and lackluster campaign fundraising.
That’s all from The Politics Desk for now. If you have any feedback – like it or not – please email us at politicsnieuwsbrief@nbcuni.com
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This article was originally published on NBCNews.com