Melania Trump is expected to play a pivotal role in her husband Donald Trump's selection of a running mate for the 2024 presidential election, according to a former White House aide.
Melania Trump's influence in the selection of Donald Trump's running mate for the 2024 presidential race is anticipated to be significant.
Fox News reported that a former White House insider emphasized that Melania will candidly offer her opinion on the vice-presidential selection, mirroring her past involvement in such decisions.
In the 2016 and 2020 elections, Melania was instrumental in choosing Mike Pence as the vice-presidential candidate.
Her influence was primarily driven by her desire to ensure that candidates had no affairs or messy financial entanglements.
Kate Andersen Brower, in her 2018 book, highlighted that Melania ensured a "clean" and "safe" candidate with "no affairs and no messy financial entanglements."
Melania was described as being decisively in Pence’s corner due to his record of having "absolutely no skeletons."
This decisive role was confirmed by a former White House insider, who stated, "Mrs. Trump will most certainly speak her mind when it comes to which person she thinks would be best to serve alongside her husband as he attempts to take back the White House."
The former insider also noted that Donald Trump often sought Melania's counsel on matters of public perception. "There were definitely times when he sought Mrs. Trump's counsel, and those occurrences were typically dealing with what I'd consider to be public perception," the insider said.
However, Trump knew when not to seek her advice, especially on issues where he had specific knowledge, such as the economy, business, and trade.
Speculation surrounds Melania's potential influence on the candidacy of North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, especially given her positive relationship with his wife, Kathryn. The Burgums have ties with the Trumps, including collaboration on recovery-friendly workplaces and attending a White House event for the First Step Act. Recently, both couples bonded during an Easter brunch at Mar-a-Lago.
Despite this, it is currently unclear if Melania will advocate for Burgum as Trump’s running mate in the 2024 election. The former White House insider mentioned, "Whether or not Trump takes her advice when selecting his running mate will be determined later down the road. It's safe to assume, though, based on what I've seen in the past, that she will be upfront and candid about whether certain people are fit to serve as vice president."
Donald Trump has indicated that he has a "pretty good idea" regarding his vice-presidential running mate selection. However, he plans to announce the decision at the Republican National Convention, which will be held from July 15 to 18.
This announcement is highly anticipated, given the significant role Melania is expected to play in the selection process.
The former White House insider compared Melania to Nancy Reagan, suggesting that she played behind-the-scenes roles in several decisions during Trump's presidency.
"She is in many ways, I think, like Nancy Reagan behind the scenes. Though she wasn't seen by the public each day, she played roles in several decisions that were made for the better regarding public perception, trust, and advocacy during the Trump presidency," the insider stated.
Melania Trump's anticipated influence on Donald Trump's vice-presidential selection for the 2024 election is drawing significant attention.
With her past involvement in choosing Mike Pence and her relationship with the Burgums, Melania's role could be crucial in shaping the next potential vice president. As Trump prepares to announce his running mate at the Republican National Convention, all eyes will be on Melania's input and the final decision.
