As the Republican National Convention begins in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, questions are swirling over who the presumed Republican presidential nominee, Donald Trump, might pick for his running mate.
Here, The National takes a look at who the presidential hopeful might choose as his potential vice president as well as the people responsible for running his campaign.
Who will Trump pick for his vice president?
Asked in March how many people were on his shortlist for running mate, Trump replied that he was looking at about 15 possibilities. The list has reportedly narrowed in the months since but ultimately, voters will have to wait for the Republican National Convention later this month to find out.
One possible option is JD Vance, a first-term senator from Ohio who became known for his memoir Hillbilly Elegy, which focused on his childhood in impoverished Appalachia. Mr Vance is a Yale-educated Marine Corps veteran and is a vocal supporter of Trump.
He is, however, on record criticising Trump, calling him “cultural heroin” in 2016 and musing over whether he is “America's Hitler”. Given Trump's track record in snubbing or going after his critics, Mr Vance might be out before he is in.
North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum is another of the leading possibilities for Trump's vice president. The two-term governor is one of the wealthiest state leaders in the country, with a net worth of $100 million, according to Forbes.
Both Trump and Mr Burgum are political outsiders, and as a fellow wealthy businessman, the Republican presidential candidate is likely to have found a kindred spirit in the governor. But Mr Burgum does not have a high profile and with dismal polling during his own bid for the presidency last year, it is clear voters might not flock to him.
Marco Rubio, a third-term senator from Florida, ran his own unsuccessful campaign against Trump for the Republican nomination in 2016 but he has since become one of the former president's biggest supporters in Congress. As a Latino, he could help win over undecided voters in that community.
But residency could become an issue, as the US Constitution forbids Electoral College voters from backing a ticket of two candidates from their own state – in this case, Florida. In addition, leaving his seat in the Senate would allow Trump rival Governor Ron DeSantis to fill it.
Though Mr Burgum, Mr Rubio and Mr Vance are the reported top three contenders, there are some outside possibilities.
Tim Scott, the only black Republican in the Senate, also threw his hat in the ring for president last year but has enthusiastically toed the Trump line in the months since. The self-described “born-again” Christian who often quotes the Bible in political speeches could be the key to picking up a larger share of the black vote.
Mr Scott has said himself, however, that he is a better surrogate for Trump than vice president, but told Fox News that being the first black Republican on a presidential ticket was “exciting, no matter the outcome”.
Originally seen as a moderate Republican, New York Representative Elise Stefanik came out strong for Trump following his 2019 impeachment and has been his vocal defender ever since. The Trump campaign may be hoping that she could attract more female voters.
However, as a member of the House – not a senator or governor – it could be argued that Ms Stefanik does not have enough political experience for the role.
Who is running Trump's campaign?
Trump has brought together an eclectic group of people for his campaign, with some old faces but new ones as well.
Susie Wiles is Trump's co-campaign manager and has been described by Politico as the “most feared and least known political operative in America”. Her career stretches back over four decades and she has served candidates at every political level, from mayor to president.
Chris LaCivita is Trump's other co-campaign manager and shares broad oversight and strategic duties with Ms Wiles. He has developed political strategies for a range of Republican politicians and has headed conservative super Pacs including Maga Inc.
Jason Miller is a senior campaign adviser with a focus on communications strategy and trying to shape reporting on Trump through frequent contacts with reporters. A long-time political strategist, Mr Miller initially worked for Texas Senator Ted Cruz in the 2016 presidential campaign, which pitted him against Trump.
Communications director Steven Cheung has been with the Trump team since 2016. Before joining the presidential candidate's campaign, he worked with other Republican politicians, including former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
While not as high-profile as those above, national press secretary Karoline Leavitt has made a name for herself defending Trump in the media. The former New Hampshire congressional candidate was booted off a CNN interview last month after accusing the network's moderators of bias against her boss, which would colour the debate.
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
About Proto21
Date started: May 2018
Founder: Pir Arkam
Based: Dubai
Sector: Additive manufacturing (aka, 3D printing)
Staff: 18
Funding: Invested, supported and partnered by Joseph Group
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
THE BIO
Family: I have three siblings, one older brother (age 25) and two younger sisters, 20 and 13
Favourite book: Asking for my favourite book has to be one of the hardest questions. However a current favourite would be Sidewalk by Mitchell Duneier
Favourite place to travel to: Any walkable city. I also love nature and wildlife
What do you love eating or cooking: I’m constantly in the kitchen. Ever since I changed the way I eat I enjoy choosing and creating what goes into my body. However, nothing can top home cooked food from my parents.
Favorite place to go in the UAE: A quiet beach.
Company profile
Name: Tharb
Started: December 2016
Founder: Eisa Alsubousi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: Luxury leather goods
Initial investment: Dh150,000 from personal savings
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: ten-speed
Power: 420bhp
Torque: 624Nm
Price: Dh325,125
On sale: Now
Earth under attack: Cosmic impacts throughout history
- 4.5 billion years ago: Mars-sized object smashes into the newly-formed Earth, creating debris that coalesces to form the Moon
- 66 million years ago: 10km-wide asteroid crashes into the Gulf of Mexico, wiping out over 70 per cent of living species – including the dinosaurs.
- 50,000 years ago: 50m-wide iron meteor crashes in Arizona with the violence of 10 megatonne hydrogen bomb, creating the famous 1.2km-wide Barringer Crater
- 1490: Meteor storm over Shansi Province, north-east China when large stones “fell like rain”, reportedly leading to thousands of deaths.
- 1908: 100-metre meteor from the Taurid Complex explodes near the Tunguska river in Siberia with the force of 1,000 Hiroshima-type bombs, devastating 2,000 square kilometres of forest.
- 1998: Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 breaks apart and crashes into Jupiter in series of impacts that would have annihilated life on Earth.
-2013: 10,000-tonne meteor burns up over the southern Urals region of Russia, releasing a pressure blast and flash that left over 1600 people injured.
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Tori Amos
Native Invader
Decca
Tonight's Chat on The National
Tonight's Chat is a series of online conversations on The National. The series features a diverse range of celebrities, politicians and business leaders from around the Arab world.
Tonight’s Chat host Ricardo Karam is a renowned author and broadcaster who has previously interviewed Bill Gates, Carlos Ghosn, Andre Agassi and the late Zaha Hadid, among others.
Intellectually curious and thought-provoking, Tonight’s Chat moves the conversation forward.
Facebook | Our website | Instagram
SECRET%20INVASION
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ali%20Selim%20%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Samuel%20L%20Jackson%2C%20Olivia%20Coleman%2C%20Kingsley%20Ben-Adir%2C%20Emilia%20Clarke%20%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The five new places of worship
Church of South Indian Parish
St Andrew's Church Mussaffah branch
St Andrew's Church Al Ain branch
St John's Baptist Church, Ruwais
Church of the Virgin Mary and St Paul the Apostle, Ruwais
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
