EXCLUSIVEHow Donald Trump's VP pick could help him edge out Biden: Daily Mail poll shows Marco Rubio would woo Democrats, while Vivek Ramaswamy helps turn out Republicans
- J.L. Partners polled 1000 likely voters for their thoughts on Trump's VP pick
- The results were tight, only moving the numbers by a point at the margins
- But in a close election that could be enough to secure a victory over Joe Biden
Donald Trump is two months into his quadrennial reality show of Celebrity Who Wants to be a Vice President Survivor?
Ever since vanquished Republican rivals Tim Scott, Vivek Ramaswamy, and Doug Burgum joined him on stage in New Hampshire, Trump has delighted in turning his rally stages into auditions or dropping new names in interviews.
The result is a mix of 'The Apprentice' and 'Guess Who?'
Would Rep. Elise Stefanik or Nikki Haley or Gov. Kristi Noem help him win over the troublesome female suburban vote?
Would Sen. Tim Scott or Rep. Byron Donalds help him make further inroads with African-Americans?
![To test the impact of VP picks, J.L. Partners polled 1000 voters on their voting intentions. The results show how a Trump-Rubio ticket helps the former president slightly more than others](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/21/14/83205895-13268851-image-a-35_1713705253156.jpg)
To test the impact of VP picks, J.L. Partners polled 1000 voters on their voting intentions. The results show how a Trump-Rubio ticket helps the former president slightly more than others
![Former President Donald Trump pictured with Vivek Ramaswamy at his primary night watch party in Nashua, New Hampshire. Ramawamy is often floated as a potential VP pick](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/21/14/83206479-13268851-Former_President_Donald_Trump_pictured_with_Vivek_Ramaswamy_at_h-a-36_1713705253158.jpg)
Former President Donald Trump pictured with Vivek Ramaswamy at his primary night watch party in Nashua, New Hampshire. Ramawamy is often floated as a potential VP pick
One of the latest, and perhaps more unexpected, names in the frame is Sen. Marco Rubio, at a time when Trump world says the former president is seriously thinking of running with a Hispanic vice president.
Or what about Vivek Ramaswamy to bring hype-man energy to the ticket?
To test who adds what to the presidential ticket J.L. Partners asked 1000 likely voters for their thoughts on VP picks to run against Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
The results are close but could offer food for thought to Trump as he mulls his decision (if he has not made it already).
They show that Rubio offers the best prospect of peeling Democrats away from Biden and Harris, while Ramaswamy—whose vibe is Trump with ADHD—fares worst.
Trump wins by one point when Rubio, Ramaswamy, and Scott are on the ticket. But he loses with Stefanik, Haley or Noem.
With Ramaswamy, some 88 percent of Republicans say they would vote for the Trump ticket.
But that falls to 81 percent for Stefanik.
With Rubio, known as a more centrist Republican than Trump with a deep interest in foreign policy, the ticket would pick off six points of Democratic support. Ramaswamy fares worst, and would likely help drive Democratic turnout against Trump, according to the results.
![The poll shows that Vivek Ramaswamy helps most with turning out Republicans](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/21/14/83205893-13268851-image-a-34_1713705252730.jpg)
The poll shows that Vivek Ramaswamy helps most with turning out Republicans
![Sen. Marco Rubio has been mentioned as a possible running mate inside Trump's inner circle](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/21/14/83206485-13268851-Sen_Marco_Rubio_has_been_mentioned_as_a_possible_running_mate_in-a-37_1713705253529.jpg)
Sen. Marco Rubio has been mentioned as a possible running mate inside Trump's inner circle
![Rep. Elise Stefanik](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/21/14/83116765-13268851-Rep_Elise_Stefanik-a-43_1713705256482.jpg)
![NIkki Haley](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/21/14/83206783-13268851-NIkki_Haley-a-38_1713705253529.jpg)
Rep. Elise Stefanik (left) and even former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who has not endorsed Trump since dropping out the presidential race, are other possibles
Trump supporters who gathered in Wilmington, North Carolina, on Saturday for a rally hurriedly postponed as storm clouds rolled in, said they did not have strong feelings.
So long as their man is on the ticket, they said his choice of running mate would make little difference.
Bob Sloan, 52, said he trusted Trump to make the right decision. Rubio, he added, seemed trustworthy, 'Up to a point.'
'He's a politician,' the port electrician explained. 'I don't trust politicians. That's why I like Trump. You have to run the country like a business.'
One complication for Rubio is that he and Trump both live in Florida. The former president has told associates that Rubio would have to move in order not to run foul of constitutional rules, and that may be difficult for a father with a family and who has made his political life in Florida.
![Trump speaks to North Dakota Governor Kristi Noem during a Buckeye Values PAC Rally in Vandalia, Ohio, last month](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/21/14/83206815-13268851-image-a-40_1713705253530.jpg)
Trump speaks to North Dakota Governor Kristi Noem during a Buckeye Values PAC Rally in Vandalia, Ohio, last month
![J.L. Partners polled 1000 likely voters from March 20 to 24 via landline, cellphone, SMS and apps. The results carry a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percent](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/21/14/82956487-13268851-J_L_Partners_polled_1000_likely_voters_from_March_20_to_24_via_l-a-39_1713705253530.jpg)
J.L. Partners polled 1000 likely voters from March 20 to 24 via landline, cellphone, SMS and apps. The results carry a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percent
![The overall results show Donald Trump maintains his four-point lead over Joe Biden, with a little over seven months to the November 5 presidential election](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/21/14/82906211-13268851-The_overall_results_show_Donald_Trump_maintains_his_four_point_l-a-42_1713705253693.jpg)
The overall results show Donald Trump maintains his four-point lead over Joe Biden, with a little over seven months to the November 5 presidential election
James Johnson, cofounder of J.L. Partners, which conducted the poll, said one of the main considerations for Trump would be how well the VP pick polled with the public.
'Though the numbers are tight, our ballot tests with different VP candidates show that different options give a range of paths for Trump, some more optimal than others,' he said.
'Ramaswamy, for example, is best to shore up support amongst Republicans and Independents alike, though with Trump’s dominance in the Republican base, there might not be much benefit to the former.'
Rubio and Scott, he added, were best placed to reach out to Democrats.
'The VP candidate with the widest reach does appear to be Marco Rubio: He does best amongst non-graduates, women, and over-65s, the latter two groups being key defence areas for Republicans in the coming election,' he said.