A presidential candidate’s running mate is usually chosen to “balance” the ticket to shore up electoral weaknesses. But in former President Donald Trump’s case, his vice presidential pick is likely to receive added scrutiny due to his multitude of legal problems. That’s why this month I&I/TIPP asked U.S. voters: Who should Trump’s vice presidential running mate be?

To find out who’s potentially strongest as a vice presidential candidate, I&I/TIPP’s national online poll, taken by 587 registered Republican primary voters from Jan. 31-Feb. 2, asked two questions: “If Trump wins the Republican nomination, who would be your top choice for his Vice President?” and, “If Trump wins the Republican nomination, who would be your second choice for his Vice President?”

The names came from a long list of recent media and campaign mentions of potential VP candidates (for the full list, see chart with this story). It also includes those who challenged Trump in the primaries, but subsequently dropped out, and one candidate still in the race.

Out of 14 possible names for the question about the “top choice” for vice president, only three reach double-digits: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (16%), entrepreneur, author and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy (14%), and former United Nations Ambassador and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (11%).

All the rest get single-digit support, from South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott (8%) to Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance (1%). But one remaining name still looms large: “Not sure,” which takes 20% of the vote, more than any individual candidate received. So people are still making up their minds.

The followup question, about the “second choice” for veep, shakes things up a bit, with DeSantis at 19%, Haley and Scott both at 12%, and former Housing Secretary and renowned medical doctor Ben Carson in fourth at 10%. All the rest, from Ramaswamy (7%) down to Florida Rep. Byron Daniels (2%) remain in single digits.

So which vice presidential candidate would have the most electoral clout? To determine this, I&I/TIPP then added up the individual scores for each question to see who was named by the most potential voters.

It wasn’t very close. DeSantis received 34% of the total votes cast on both questions, compared to 24% for Haley, 21% for Ramaswamy, 19% for Scott, 17% for Carson, 12% for TV personality and commentator Tucker Carlson and 10% for South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem.

All the rest received 7% or less of the total, from Arkansas Governor and political commentator Sarah Huckabee Sanders and former National Security Adviser Gen. Mike Flynn down to Daniels at 3%.

Why focus on this so early in the game, when a vice presidential selection is usually not made until the summer before an election?

The answer, of course, it that Trump is hardly a typical candidate. To begin with, fair or not, he’s a highly divisive figure in American politics, within both parties.

But more importantly, with four major indictments against him in the last two years whose outcomes are still unclear, it’s not at all certain that even with his huge lead in the polls Trump can emerge from the process unscathed.

No former president in U.S. history has faced such a barrage of litigation, in Trump’s case suspiciously filed as he geared up to run for a second term.

As one example: The fraud trial in which Trump was hammered just this month with $355 million in penalties, which could grow to well over $400 million once interest is added, and banned from doing business in New York for three years.

“The size of the damages is grotesque and should shock the conscience of any judge on appeal,” George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley told The Hill. “Even if the Democrat-appointed judges on the New York Court of Appeals were to ignore the obvious inequity and unfairness, the United States Supreme Court could intervene.”

“This is unprecedented. New York has never brought a case like this ever in the history of New York that anyone can find, yet they go after Donald Trump when crime in New York is at an all-time high,” according to Republican former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, speaking on “Kudlow.”

That’s only the latest of Trump’s legal woes.

There also was the $83 million judgment levied against him for defamation against journalist E. Jean Carroll, who claimed Trump raped her in a Bergdorf Goodman department store dressing room in either 1994, 1995 or 1996 (under oath, she couldn’t remember when).

In a separate case in Georgia, Trump was hit with 13 charges for allegedly trying to overturn the results of that state’s 2020 election. That case has yet to be resolved. Despite indications of prosecutorial misconduct and possible bias by lead prosecutor Fani T. Willis, Trump is still not in the clear.

Even libertarian magazine Reason, neither a friend nor supporter of Trump, was moved to call the former president a “victim of political witch hunts by Democrats suffering from Trump derangement syndrome.”

What does this have to do with who Trump selects as veep? Plenty. If, for one reason or another, Trump is unable to finish his campaign for president, it’s very likely that whomever he selects as his running mate will turn into the GOP’s candidate.

So who will he pick? Back in January, Trump himself told Fox News’ Bret Baier that “People won’t be that surprised” by his selection. But this month, he mentioned both Noem and Scott as possibilities.

And Fox Business, with close ties to Trump’s camp, has said that Vance, Huckabee Sanders and New York Rep. Elise Stefanik are all on Trump’s “short list” of vice presidential possibles. And Trump himself has talked of Ramaswamy as someone who play a significant, if unspecified, role in his administration.

But that raises questions, namely: Will this be an election in which the presidential candidate’s No. 2 becomes a big deal, as a potential replacement for the president? Or will it, as with most presidential elections, be a non-issue?

Meanwhile, not mentioned at all above by those close to Trump or even by Trump himself are the two vice presidential candidates who won the broadest support among rank-and-file GOP voters: DeSantis and Haley. Why not?

Of course, Trump’s supreme self-confidence and the MAGA brand may be big enough to carry him and whomever his vice presidential pick is across the finish line, especially given President Joe Biden’s troubles in recent polls. If so, Trump may see DeSantis or Haley — both strong-willed politicians with national followings of their own — as distractions from his vision for America.

I&I/TIPP publishes timely, unique, and informative data each month on topics of public interest. TIPP’s reputation for polling excellence comes from being the most accurate pollster for the past five presidential elections.

Terry Jones is an editor of Issues & Insights. His four decades of journalism experience include serving as national issues editor, economics editor, and editorial page editor for Investor’s Business Daily.

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1. WFP Halts Food Deliveries To North Gaza Amid ‘Complete Chaos, Violence’ – Al Jazeera

The United Nations food agency has paused delivering aid to northern Gaza, citing Israeli gunfire as well as “complete chaos and violence due to the collapse of civil order” in the area.

The latest suspension increases fears of starvation in northern Gaza, which has been almost completely cut off from aid since late October amid Israel’s devastating war on the enclave.

2. U.S. Vetoes UN Resolution Calling For Immediate Ceasefire In Gaza – AFP

The United States vetoed a UN Security Council resolution that called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, drawing stern criticism from allies.

Hamas condemned the U.S. decision, saying it amounted to giving Israel the “green light” to carry out “more massacres.”

Washington had circulated its own alternative draft resolution ahead of the vote. Unlike past U.S. efforts, that version does feature the word “ceasefire” but does not call for it to be enacted immediately.

3. Israel Gaza: China Condemns U.S. Veto Of Call For Immediate Ceasefire At UN -BBC

China has sharply criticized the U.S. for vetoing a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Beijing said the move sent the “wrong message” and effectively gave a “green light to the continued slaughter.”

The White House said the Algerian-proposed resolution would “jeopardise” talks to end the war. The U.S. has proposed its own temporary ceasefire resolution, which also warned Israel not to invade the city of Rafah.

4. Two Years Of Russia-Ukraine War: No End Of Conflict In Sight, Say Experts – Al Arabiya

After two years of fighting that have seen thousands killed and millions displaced, the war reaches another grim milestone this week – with February 24 marking two years since the 2022 invasion, with no end to the bloodshed in sight.

Experts analyzing the conflict agree that there is no resolution on the horizon as negotiations reach a stalemate, with Russian President Vladimir Putin doubling down for a long conflict and Ukraine battling for Western aid and weapons.

5. Russia Arrests Dual U.S. Citizen For Ukraine-Linked ‘Treason’ – Al Jazeera

Russia’s internal security and intelligence agency, the Federal Security Service (FSB), has arrested a woman who holds dual Russian and U.S. nationality for committing “treason” by raising funds for Ukraine.

State media reported that the unnamed woman was identified only as a 33-year-old resident of Los Angeles.

Treason is punishable by up to 20 years in prison in Russia. The Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich is one of several U.S. nationals who are currently imprisoned in Russia.

6. Ukraine PM Calls For Long-Range Missiles To Fight Back Russia – Al Jazeera

Speaking during a visit to Japan, Ukrainian PM Denys Shmyhal said Ukraine has modern equipment and trained soldiers and is fighting at NATO standards. Still, the country needs more long-range missiles for air defense against Russia on the front line.

Shmyhal’s comments came as ammunition shortages and limited manpower are causing Ukraine some serious losses on the battlefield. Support from Western powers has faced pushback over growing costs while lawmakers in Washington continued to wrangle over a military aid package for Kyiv.

7. U.S. Plans Sanctions Against Russia Over Alexei Navalny’s Death – UPI

The U.S. plans “major sanctions” against Russia in response to the circumstances surrounding the death of Russian political opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said that “whatever story the Russian government decides to tell the world,” it is clear to the rest of the world that Russian President Vladimir Putin and his government “are responsible for Mr. Navalny’s death.”

8. North Korean Missile Found In Ukraine Used European, U.S.-Made Parts – Kyodo News

A North Korean missile fired into eastern Ukraine by Russia contained hundreds of electronic components that trace back to companies headquartered in Europe, the U.S., Japan, China, and elsewhere, according to a British research institute.

The findings by Conflict Armament Research show that North Korea is able to acquire parts from overseas to manufacture weapons, circumventing U.N. sanctions imposed to curb its ballistic missile and nuclear development programs.

9. Polish Farmers Spill Ukrainian Grain In Protest Over Imports – RFE/RL

Polish farmers resumed their blockade of roads along the Ukrainian border, with dozens of tractors jamming transport routes and Ukrainian grain dumped on railroad tracks. 

Ukrainian truckers held a counterdemonstration demanding the blockade be lifted so they could return to their country. Ukrainian Agriculture Minister Mykola Solskiy said Ukraine “strongly condemns such forms of protest,” adding that the corn spilled on tracks was being exported to Germany, not Poland.

10. Putin Says Russia Has No Intention Of Putting Nuclear Weapons In Space – RFA

Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that Moscow has no intention of deploying nuclear weapons in space, claiming that the country has only developed space capabilities similar to the U.S.

Putin’s statement follows the White House claim last week that Russia has obtained a “troubling” anti-satellite weapon capability, although such a weapon is not operational yet.

11. British, U.S. Law Enforcement Agencies Disrupt Ransomware Group Linked To Russia – RFE/RL

U.S. and British officials announced that they had infiltrated and disrupted a Russian-linked ransomware cybercrime group known as LockBit, arresting two Russian nationals in Poland and Ukraine and indicting two others in the U.S.

“We have hacked the hackers,” Graeme Biggar, director-general of the National Crime Agency (NCA), said, calling the LockBit ransomware syndicate “the world’s most harmful cybercrime group” and saying it extracted $120 million from thousands of victims around the world.

12. ‘Russia Rebuilding Capacity To Destabilize European Countries’ – A.P.

Russia is rebuilding its capacity to destabilize Europe and extend its influence in the Middle East and Africa, posing a strategic threat to NATO as its members focus on the war in Ukraine, a U.K.-based think tank said.

Researchers at the Royal United Services Institute argue that Western nations need to do more to counter Moscow’s use of unconventional warfare if they are to succeed in turning back Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

13. U.S. Trade Curbs Spur China Business For Japan Chip Industry – Nikkei Asia

Japan’s semiconductor equipment makers are enjoying strong demand from China, in part due to trade controls imposed by Washington and Beijing’s stepping-up efforts to boost the local chip industry.

“In China, there’s demand for securing legacy-generation chip tools in mass, as advanced chips cannot be exported to the country,” Masato Goto, president of Screen Semiconductor Solutions – a unit of Japan’s Screen Holdings – told Nikkei Asia.

14. ‘Stop Harassing’ Chinese Students, Beijing Tells U.S. – RFA

Chinese Public Security Minister Wang Xiaohong has accused U.S. authorities of “harassing” Chinese students studying in America and called for law enforcement to instead work harder to “ensure the safety” of Chinese diplomatic personnel sent to the United States.

According to a report by the Chinese state news agency Xinhua, the comments came during talks with Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas in Vienna.

15. China Building Up Tech For ‘Censorship Apparatus,’ U.S. Report Says – Nikkei Asia

China is trying to control global opinion on Taiwan, Hong Kong, and other issues through its extensive censorship apparatus and is advancing technologies for this purpose, according to a new report released by a U.S. congressional advisory panel.

The bipartisan U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC) published a report analyzing China’s domestic and global censorship practices.

16. Julian Assange Appeals In ‘Most Important Press Freedom Case In The World’ – Al Jazeera

London’s High Court has scheduled two hearings on Tuesday and Wednesday to decide whether WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange may appeal a United States request for extradition to stand trial on espionage charges.

In 2013, Edward Snowden, a contractor with the U.S. National Security Agency, leaked documents to WikiLeaks revealing that the NSA had installed digital stovepipes in email providers’ servers and was secretly filtering private correspondence.

Snowden called Assange’s case “the most important press freedom case in the world” on X, and legal experts agree.

17. North Koreans Gather Cigarette Butts To Sell To Clothing Makers – RFA

Hungry North Koreans are swooping in ahead of cleaning crews for large public events to collect the butts of filtered cigarettes, which they then sell for meager sums of cash.

The cigarette butts have filters made of fibers that can either be recycled into new cigarettes or used to make clothing, sources said.

The price of 2.2 lbs. of filtered cigarette butts is around 10,000 won (US$1.13) which is the same price of about 6.6 lbs. of corn at the market, the resident explained.

18. Pakistan Election: PMLN And PPP Reach Agreement On Coalition Government

Two political parties in Pakistan have formally agreed to form a new government following an election mired in controversy. 

They jointly announced that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) will be backed by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in a new administration. Both parties won fewer seats than candidates loyal to jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan on 8 February.

On X, Mr. Khan’s PTI party branded the coalition “mandate thieves.”

19. Dozens Dead In Papua New Guinea Tribal Battle – A.P.

Tribal violence in the Enga region has intensified since elections in 2022 that kept PM James Marape’s administration in power.

Papua New Guinea is a diverse nation of 10 million people, mostly subsistence farmers, with hundreds of languages. Internal security has become an increasing challenge for its government as China, the United States, and Australia seek closer security ties to the country in a strategically important part of the South Pacific.

20. Women May Realize Health Benefits Of Regular Exercise More Than Men, Study Says – UPI Health

Women who exercise regularly have a much lower risk of premature death or a fatal cardiovascular event than men who work out the same length of time, a new study indicates.

The findings, supported by the National Institutes of Health, were published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. The results are based on a data analysis of more than 400,000 U.S. adults ages 27 to 61.

Over two decades, women who exercised regularly were 24% less likely than those who didn’t work out to experience death from any cause, while men were 15% less likely.

Republished with permission from TIPP Insights