Former President Donald Trump generated more speculation surrounding his vice presidential pick after teasing Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) at a major campaign rally in Florida on Tuesday.
According to The Hill, Rubio, who is reportedly one of the top contenders for Trump’s 2024 running mate, joined Trump at his Tuesday rally. The outlet reported that Rubio spoke against both President Joe Biden and Kamala Harris at the rally and questioned whether Biden was still qualified to remain in office.
Throughout Trump’s speech in Doral, Florida, on Tuesday, the former president referenced Rubio multiple times and even directly addressed the media’s speculation regarding whether he was going to announce the Florida senator as his vice presidential pick.
Pointing to the large media presence at the rally, Trump said, “Look at all of them back there .. that’s a lot, Marco.” He added, “I think they probably think I’m going to be announcing that Marco’s going to be vice president, cause that’s a lot of press.”
At another point in Tuesday’s rally, the former president mentioned Rubio’s name as he explained his plan to eliminate taxes on tips for Americans employed in the service industry.
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“Marco, you’re going to vote for it, I hope,” Trump said. “Well, you may or may not be there to vote for it. But you’ll be involved.”
Trump’s highly-anticipated decision on a 2024 running mate has continued to generate speculation as multiple outlets have reported that Rubio, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), and Gov. Doug Burgum (R-N.D.) are currently the top potential candidates ahead of the Republican National Convention.
According to The Post Millennial, Trump has previously suggested that his final decision will be announced “right around the convention, maybe a little before.” The Hill reported that both Rubio and Vance confirmed on Sunday that they had not been notified by the president regarding his decision.
According to The Hill, while Rubio was a rival of the former president during the 2016 presidential race, the Florida senator’s allies have claimed that he could help Trump appeal to minority voters in swing states across the country.
