Could a rare constitutional provision shape Donald Trump’s VP pick?

A now seldomly heard constitutional provision could change the choice of Donald Trump’s running mate for the upcoming elections in the United States of America.

Former President Donald Trump speaks to media as he returns to his trial at the Manhattan Criminal Court, Friday, May 3, 2024, in New York. (Charly Triballeau/Pool Photo via AP)(AP)

The 12th Amendment, endeavoured to be approved in 1803, introduces a restriction on college voters that they are centred only with either a president or vice president from their home state and not two.

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Shortly after this lesser-known provision came to light, it became evident that the candidates of Sen. Marco Rubio, Rep. Byron Donalds, and Gov. Ron DeSantis, all hailing from Florida, could not be considered.

Originally from New York, Trump moved to Florida in 2019. While discussing the possibility of choosing Rubio as a running mate, Trump acknowledged Rubio’s “residency problem,” as reported by The Bulwark.

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Although Trump previously included Donalds on his shortlist of potential running mates in February, Donalds himself expressed a lack of consideration regarding the 12th Amendment, stating, “we can cross that bridge when we come back to it,” in an interview with the New York Post.

“I want to do everything to help win back the White House,” Donalds affirmed during the Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland.

“It’s about putting in the policies that work for the country and work for everybody.”

Mixed signals on Trump’s VP pick

Earlier this week, Bloomberg reported that Trump had narrowed down his options for a running mate to four candidates, including Rubio, after hinting at a decision timeline.

Other contenders reportedly considered were Gov. Doug Burgum, as well as Sens. JD Vance of Ohio and Tim Scott of South Carolina.

However, senior adviser Brian Hughes contested this assertion: “Anyone claiming to know who or when President Trump will choose his VP is lying, unless the person is named Donald J. Trump,” per New York Post.

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Trump himself indicated that he would disclose his choice for running mate “not too much before” the Republican National Convention, slated to be held in Milwaukee from July 15-18, during a campaign visit to Wisconsin.

Trump told FOX 6 Milwaukee, “I’ll be picking, but probably not too much before the convention, which I happen to be having in the great state of Wisconsin.”