A recent Harvard CAPS/Harris poll revealed that if voters had their say, Donald Trump would choose one of his former 2024 primary rivals as his running mate. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Sen. Tim Scott emerged as the top two choices among respondents, with DeSantis leading the pack at 12% among all voters surveyed and 23% among self-described Republicans. Following closely behind were Scott, biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard.
In addition to DeSantis and Scott, other potential running mates such as Sen. Marco Rubio, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, and pundit Tucker Carlson received varying levels of support from voters. However, almost 40% of respondents opted for “someone else” or “none of the above” when asked about their preferred choice, indicating a lack of clear consensus among voters. Trump himself has hinted that he will reveal his VP selection shortly before the Republican National Convention in July.
The poll results suggested that Scott would provide Trump with the largest boost among self-described Democrats, Hispanics, and independent voters, while Ramaswamy would appeal most to skeptical Republicans. In head-to-head matchups, Trump was shown to lead President Biden by six percentage points overall. When respondents were forced to choose between the two candidates, Trump maintained a six-point lead. In a three-way race that included independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump led Biden 45% to 40%.
Following the poll’s release, Trump and Biden agreed to participate in two debates scheduled for June 27 and Sept. 10. The majority of respondents expressed a desire for these debates to occur, with 63% believing they would offer valuable information to voters. However, 73% preferred that the debates be organized by the non-partisan Commission on Presidential Debates, which was not involved in the recent negotiations. The online survey collected data from 1,660 voters in mid-May, with a margin of error of plus-or-minus 2 percentage points.
Overall, the poll highlighted the uncertainty surrounding Trump’s potential running mate selection for the 2024 election. While DeSantis and Scott emerged as popular choices among voters, a notable percentage remained undecided or preferred other candidates. The upcoming debates between Trump and Biden were viewed as crucial by voters, though concerns were raised about the lack of involvement from a non-partisan organization in organizing these events. As the Republican National Convention approaches, all eyes will be on Trump as he prepares to announce his VP pick.
