Why Am I Hesitating?

I've made no secret the past two years that I didn't want Donald Trump to win the GOP nomination in 2024.

• Even in spite of the obvious election meddling by Democrats in some states, I stand by my belief that Trump legitimately lost the 2020 election.
• As a Christian, I'm appalled by the disgustingly long list of sexual deviants and predators in Trump's inner circle.
• As a Republican, I'm irritated that Donald Trump's candidates consistently fail to win elections.
• As a Conservative, I'm frustrated that the GOP has become more about Donald Trump's Cult of Personality than Conservative Ideas.
• As a Catholic, I'm concerned that Trump seems to be walking back his commitment to the Right-to-Life; which is partially why Bob Vander Plaats didn't endorse him in Iowa.
• As a veteran of the US Intelligence Community, the Federal charges against Trump regarding his disregard for classified information at Mar-a-Lago should land him in prison (Hillary Clinton deserves prison for this too).
• As a veteran of the US military, I'm still heartbroken that Trump abandoned our Kurdish allies.

In 2016, I joined the #NeverTrump bandwagon because I thought Donald Trump was a feigning conservative policies in order to play the Republican base in the election, and if elected he would govern as the center-left person his history led me to believe he was. However, in his four years as President, (under the heavy influence of the super conservative Vice President Mike Pence), Donald Trump governed better than any President since Ronald Reagan.

Why Am I Close To Endorsing Trump?

• Trump delivered the Supreme Court Justices that finally reversed Roe v Wade.
• Trump deescalated tensions with North Korea after meeting with Kim Jong Un.
• Trump used a MOAB on the Taliban early to intimidate them and then pursued a withdraw of US forces; which would have gone better if Biden didn't drop the ball.
• Trump defeated ISIS.
• Trump passed significant tax reform that punished states using federal tax deductions to subsidize their high property taxes and closing various tax loopholes.

Donald Trump defied my expectations and GOVERNED like the conservative Republicans have been waiting for since Ronald Reagan. Aside from abandoning the Kurds, the biggest problem I had with Trump's presidency was Trump himself. The man is just obnoxious, ill-mannered, and a really bad role model. However, he ran the executive branch REALLY well.

That's why I voted for Donald Trump in 2020.

What Do I Need To See for a 2024 Endorsement?

What I'm waiting for now is for Donald Trump to pick another Conservative Vice-President in the same mold as Mike Pence. I know he won't pick Mike Pence (although that would probably reunite the GOP if he did), but someone like that would win my support.

Some VP candidates I would like to see include:

• Gov. Ron DeSantis (Good for down ballot success)
• Sen. Tim Scott (Good for expanding the GOP)
• Gov. Kristi Noem (despite her sex scandal)
• Former Gov. Mike Huckabee (despite my history trashing the man)
• Gov. Greg Abbot (Good for keeping Illegal Immigration front and center)
• Sen. Marco Rubio (Good for uniting the GOP)
• Sen. Ted Cruz (Great for infusing conservate ideology in the Administration)
• Sen. John Thune (REALLY good for uniting the GOP)
• Sen. Mike Lee (Good for being a combative conservative)

If he picks someone like Vivek Ramaswamy; essentially a Yes-Man that will just ride on Trump's coat tails; I'm going to be a lot more hesitant to support Trump publicly. I like that Pence was strong enough to stand up to Trump on January 6th, 2021; and I hope he finds someone that will exhibit the same level of loyalty to the country. Even if Trump's next Vice President does what Trump wants in a similar situation; I hope he or she does it because they believe it's what's right, not because they're blinded by loyalty to Donald Trump.

Trump's Vice Presidential pick in 2024 is easily the most influential for my vote and support in my lifetime. Not just because I want someone to guide Trump, but because there's a very real possibility that Trump will be in prison before the election and the VP might actually be the candidate or quickly find himself becoming the President if Trump is convicted in office and impeached.

Biden Can't Win Again

Regardless of Trump's VP pick, this country really can't tolerate another four years of the Biden-Harris Administration with it manipulating interest rates to avoid hyper-inflation from overspending and messing up the economy for poor and middle class Americans in the process, keeping us on the edge of World War III with negligence, and putting this country at risk with an open border policy.

Unless Trump runs an anti-conservative campaign and a serious third party candidate with a shot at winning comes along that better reflects my values; I'll be voting for Trump. My endorsement is more likely just a question of whether or not I'll be cheerleading for him until November. I sincerely hope I'll be able to, but until he picks a VP, I don't know if that will happen.