The plot thickens — and so does the facial hair. In an unexpected, eyebrow-raising announcement on Wednesday, former President Donald Trump, who is currently in the throes of making his potential vice presidential pick, has endorsed J.D. Vance’s beard.
“Everything’s an issue,” Trump said, when asked about concerns over his shortlist of potential running mates that includes Vance, Ohio’s Republican senator; North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum; and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio. During the interview, Trump was asked about Burgum’s stronger abortion stance, Rubio’s residency complications since both he and Rubio hail from the same state — and, of course, Vance’s beard after reports surfaced that Trump doesn’t like facial hair.
“It looks good,” Trump said in his glowing endorsement of the Ohio senator’s facial hair. “He looks like a young Abraham Lincoln.”
His statement comes along with what appears to be him throwing a little shade on a few others presumed to be on his shortlist for the job of second banana.
Trump had no other comments about Vance. But he had some wider concerns about Burgum and Rubio. He called Burgum’s past signing of strong abortion limits as North Dakota governor “a little bit of an issue.”
“It’s a pretty strong ban. I think Doug is great,” Trump said. “He’s taken a pretty strong stance — or the state has. I don’t know if it’s Doug but the state has. So it’s an issue.”
And:
And after rallying with Rubio in Miami Tuesday night — where Trump toyed with a possible Rubio running mate — Trump discussed the Florida senator’s residency problem in Wednesday’s interview. Trump and Rubio would need to forgo Florida’s 30 electors if they ran on the same ticket, meaning that Rubio may have to move states and give up his Senate seat to run with the former president.
Trump said that wouldn’t prevent Rubio from being picked as vice president but that it “does make it more complicated.”
As my colleague Levon Satamian recently pointed out, the former president’s son, Donald Trump Jr. (also bearded), favors J.D. Vance, and he has likely bent his father’s ear on the topic a time or two, because who wouldn’t?
See Related: Trump Has Reportedly Narrowed Down the Vice President Field to Three Contenders
Don Jr. Weighs in on Who He Would Like to See As Trump’s VP – Is He Dropping a Hint?
Trump notes that the bearded Vance resembles a “young Abraham Lincoln,” although I have to admit I don’t see it; Lincoln, even as a young man, was pretty cadaverous, and Vance just isn’t. But America has an illustrious history of bearded chief executives, beginning with John Quincy Adams’ impressive mutton chops, James A. Garfield’s expansive beard, and Teddy Roosevelt’s famous ‘stache. Even Harry Truman was rumored to have worn a neat chin beard for a time in 1948, although no photos of that seem to have survived.
Honestly, and maybe this is my Alaska residency speaking, but I’d feel more comfortable voting for a guy with a beard. When moving to Alaska, I’m pretty sure state law requires all men to grow a beard within 90 days of arrival, and sure as shooting, you see a lot of impressive beards in the Great Land; by comparison, J.D. Vance looks a bit of a piker, but we can suppose there are probably Senate rules about such things.
Now, if we could persuade Donald Trump to grow a beard… Well, I feel confident that it would be a huge, beautiful beard, the best beard ever, a better beard than any other presidential candidate has ever grown. There would be no other beards like it, and with this move, Donald Trump could claim to have singlehandedly Made Beards Great Again.
This is a guy I’d vote for. pic.twitter.com/JtmDnjzqzI
— Ward Clark (@TheGreatLander) July 10, 2024
He should consider this. I wonder how one might be able to send suggestions to his campaign staff?
