Former President Donald Trump has been warned about a potential running mate’s constitutional problems that could cost him dearly in the 2024 elections.
The warning comes as Trump had Florida Senator Marco Rubio appear at his Tuesday rally in Doral.
Rubio’s appearance sparked some speculation that Trump may be teasing him as a running mate.
The matchup could prove to be a bigger drag on Trump’s campaign than most realize however, with pitfalls large enough to disqualify Rubio as a candidate in the White House run.
“I think Rubio is a valuable surrogate for the president but I don’t think he’s on the final list, in part because of the constitutional problem,” Fox News contributor Byron York said on “Fox & Friends” Wednesday, according to Newsweek.
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“Which is the 12th Amendment,” he continued. “[It] prohibits the state’s electors from voting for both the president and the vice president from that same state.”
York added: “So, for Rubio to be on the ticket and for Trump to and Rubio to be able to win Florida’s electoral votes, one of them would have to move out of Florida, which is kind of an awkward situation if you’re the senator from Florida.”
While Rubio may carry a tiny bit of name recognition and support to Trump’s campaign, whatever he brings will be grossly outweighed by the loss of Florida’s 30 electoral votes.
As PolitiFact notes, Article II of the Constitution, under proscriptions from the 12th Amendment, also details the restriction.
Should Trump avoid Marco Rubio as a running mate?
Trump, a lifelong resident of New York, moved his primary residence to Florida in 2019.
“I cherish New York, and the people of New York, and always will,” Trump wrote in 2019, “but unfortunately, despite the fact that I pay millions of dollars in city, state and local taxes each year, I have been treated very badly by the political leaders of both the city and state. Few have been treated worse.
“I hated having to make this decision, but in the end it will be best for all concerned.”
According to PolitiFact, if Trump truly wants Rubio as a running mate, there are a few options for the pair to clear the constitutional hurdle.
As Dick Cheney moved his residency from Texas to Wyoming so he could run alongside George W. Bush in 2000, so Rubio could give up his seat in the Senate and abandon the Sunshine State to become Trump’s running mate.
Rubio is otherwise set to hold his Senate seat until early 2029.
The legal dance of shifting his residence and handling the departure from the Senate would not create a guaranteed win for Trump, meaning this gamble might be too risky to even consider.
If Donald Trump wants Marco Rubio on the ticket, that’s his prerogative. But what it could do to a Republican run at the White House makes this pairing a potentially unattractive option.
