Former first lady Melania Trump will “definitely” have an influence on who her husband chooses as his running mate in the 2024 presidential election, a former White House insider says.
“Mrs. Trump will definitely speak her mind when it comes to who she thinks is best suited to serve alongside her husband as he tries to take back the White House,” the source, who served as an aide during the Trump administration, told Fox Digital news.
“Whether Trump takes her advice when choosing a running mate will be decided at a later date. However, based on what I have seen in the past, it is a safe bet that she will be forthright and candid about the suitability of certain individuals to be vice president,” the source People said of Melania.
It wouldn’t be the first time Melania has influenced her husband’s thinking on a vice presidential pick if she makes it clear who she thinks is the best fit.
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Former President Donald Trump and former First Lady Melania Trump stand together during an event at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, on November 15, 2022. (Joe Reddell/Getty Images)
In her 2018 book, “First in Line: Presidents, Vice Presidents, and the Pursuit of Power,” Kate Andersen Brower noted that Melania played a key role in ensuring the selection of a “clean” and “safe” candidate as Trump’s running mate in the 2016 election.
“That means no affairs and no messy financial entanglements. Simply put, it means no drama. She realizes her husband has had enough,” Brower noted at the time.
Although their relationship is now in trouble over the outcome of the 2020 presidential election, Trump ultimately chose former Vice President Mike Pence as his running mate in both the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections.
Brower said Melania is “definitely on Pence’s side” because of Pence’s “absolutely skeleton” record.
While it’s unclear who Trump will choose as his running mate in the 2024 presidential election, which is less than five months away, a report released last week touted the former president and first lady’s ties to North Korea. Dakota Governor Doug Burgum and his family’s relationship.
Puck’s report highlighted Melania’s relationship with Burgum’s wife, Katherine, and noted how she “worked with Melania on multiple occasions during Trump’s presidency, including on building workplaces that are conducive to recovery.”
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Former President Donald Trump with North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum and his wife during a caucus night rally at Treasure Island Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, February 8, 2024 Catherine Burgum stands together.
The report also highlights how the Burgum family was invited to the White House to celebrate the signing of the First Step Act criminal justice reform initiative, an issue the outlet said was “particularly important to Katherine.”
Additionally, the outlet noted how the two couples “bonded” this year while enjoying Easter brunch at Mar-a-Lago.
It’s unclear whether Melania will weigh her options on Burgum’s behalf in the tight vice presidential race, but she has successfully advised her husband in the past.
The former first lady is said to frequently petition the former president on specific topics, particularly issues involving public perception and trust.
“He does seek advice from Mrs. Trump at times, and those events are usually dealing with what I think is public perception,” the former White House insider told Fox News. “He knows when not to do that. He usually doesn’t. Seek her advice on matters of which he has specific knowledge, such as economics, commerce, trade and other such transactions.”
“I think she’s like the Nancy Reagan behind the scenes in a lot of ways,” the source added. “While she is not in public every day, she has played a role in several decisions made during the Trump presidency to better enhance public perception, trust and advocacy.”
On February 12, 2020, then-First Lady Melania Trump held a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC. (Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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In an interview with Fox News’ Aisha Hasni at the Republican National Committee headquarters in Washington, D.C., last week, Trump said he had a “very clear idea” of who his vice presidential running mate would be.
However, his decision is not expected to be announced until this summer’s Republican National Convention, scheduled for July 15-18 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
