Tracking Trump's potential VP picks

• The requests suggest Trump is also taking a close look at Rep. Elise Stefanik, former HUD Secretary Ben Carson, Rep. Byron Donalds and Sen. Tom Cotton.
• We're told the vetting list could expand beyond those first eight.

The big picture: This is one of the biggest choices Trump will make during his third presidential bid.

• Axios' Sophia Cai reports Trump wants a low-key loyalist, and will also take fundraising ability into consideration. The right choice could also help him appeal to Trump-skeptical voting blocs, such as suburban women.
• One man who won't be picked is former Vice President Mike Pence. That means there will be a new name on the 2024 GOP ticket.
• Trump ruled out GOP nomination rival Nikki Haley, but after she endorsed him he said he expected her to be on his team "in some form."
• The VP contenders all jumped to Trump's defense following his felony convictions in what felt like an audition for the role.

Here's a look at who's in contention:

Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio)

• Vance is one of Trump's most outspoken defenders and espouses the former president's populist views on immigration and an "America First" foreign policy.
• "I'd love to see a J.D. Vance," Donald Trump Jr. told Newsmax as he discussed the shortlist. "People who are principally in alignment as well as aggressive."
• Vance hasn't hidden his desire for the role. He told Fox News he'd be disappointed if he doesn't get it.

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum

• Burgum is quickly moving up the list of possible vice presidential picks because Trump's team believes he would be a safe choice who could attract moderate voters, Axios' Sophia Cai and Juliegrace Brufke report.

• The North Dakota governor, who is in his second term in a deeply red state, is a staunchly conservative businessman and is widely viewed as acceptable to establishment Republicans — a safe choice to put on the ticket.
• He ran a long-shot presidential campaign but quickly endorsed Trump after dropping out.

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio

• Rubio, a one-time rival to Trump, has the name recognition, though he once publicly shuddered at running alongside Trump — in 2016, before his fellow Floridian was elected.
• The Constitution prevents two people from the same state being on the ticket, but Rubio could change his residency to take the job.

Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.)

• Scott, one of the most prominent Black Republicans in the country, suspended his presidential campaign in November and has since campaigned for the former president.
• Scott did not rule out becoming Trump's running mate, saying on CNN's "State of the Union" that "the only thing I want is four more years of Donald Trump" and a Republican majority in Congress.
• Asked about his VP shortlist during a Fox News town hall in February, Trump pointed to Scott and said, "A lot of people are talking about that gentleman right over there."

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.)

• Stefanik was the first member of Congress to endorse Trump and campaigned with him in New Hampshire.
• "She's a killer," Trump reportedly told allies in December, shortly after Stefanik's viral confrontation with university presidents at a hearing on campus anti-Semitism.
• Stefanik was widely seen as a front-runner earlier this year, but rivals like Vance have gotten more of the spotlight lately.

Former HUD Secretary Ben Carson

• Carson was among Trump's longest-serving cabinet members and remained loyal to Trump after the Jan. 6 insurrection.
• He campaigned with Trump in Iowa before the caucuses.

Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.)

• Donalds has only been in Congress since 2021, but the Freedom Caucus Republican has strong support from conservatives.
• He'd likely pass Trump's loyalty test. Donalds suggested at an Axios event that he would be willing to decline to certify the 2028 election results if he were vice president.

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.)

• Cotton is a staunch conservative with a military background and nearly a decade of Senate experience.
• Cotton hasn't been the subject of as much VP speculation as some of the other contenders, but even if he's not chosen he will likely be considered for a major national security-related role if Trump wins.

Arizona Senate candidate Kari Lake

• Lake, a former TV news anchor, was seen as a top choice, particularly as Trump has suggested he might want a female running mate. But she's a long shot because she's running for Senate and could help Republicans take control of that chamber if she wins.
• The right-wing firebrand is one of Trump's top surrogates on the campaign trail and on TV. Her star has risen in conservative circles despite her failed bid for governor. She has denied the results of that election, along with Trump's defeat in 2020.

Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy

• Ramaswamy ran against Trump in the 2024 presidential Republican primary before dropping out, endorsing him and campaigning on his behalf.
• Trump condemned Ramaswamy as "not MAGA" as he gained traction in the polls but has since praised the biotech entrepreneur, who has never held office.

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem

• Trump name-dropped the South Dakota governor and Fox News regular in February, saying: "Kristi Noem has been incredible fighting for me. She said 'I'd never run against him because I can't beat him.' That was a very nice thing to say."
• Noem told Fox in February that she and Trump "talk all the time," but that the two have "never had that conversation" about her potentially being his running mate.
• Reports of an affair with former Trump aide Corey Lewandowski, and fallout from her book, may hurt her chances.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott

• Trump said he "would very much consider Abbott" for VP during a joint Fox News interview on Feb. 29 about border security, an issue on which Abbott is a fierce hardliner.
• Abbott said he was "committed to governing Texas" and to his own re-election campaign.

Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.)

• Britt delivered the Republican State of the Union response in what could have been a VP audition for the freshman senator. Her performance was praised by some Republicans but mocked by those outside the party.

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders

• Trump's White House press secretary endorsed his 2024 presidential bid — after a delay — though Sanders claimed in February to have no interest in the VP job.

Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard

• Gabbard, who ran an unsuccessful presidential campaign in 2019 then left the Democratic Party in 2022, has been floated by some Trump allies.
• The former Hawaii representative said in March that she "would be open" to being on Trump's ticket, adding that her "mission is to serve our country."
• Gabbard reportedly turned down an offer from Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s campaign to be his 2024 running mate.

Former National Intelligence Director John Ratcliffe

• Ratcliffe, a former prosecutor, was Trump's final director of national intelligence from 2020 to 2021.
• He warned Trump's team against attempting to overturn the 2020 election, and declined an offer to be attorney general when Trump approached him about it afterward, per the New York Times.

Former UN ambassador Nikki Haley

• "Nikki Haley is not under consideration for the V.P. slot, but I wish her well!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform in May.
• Haley told the WSJ that nominating Trump would be "suicide for our country," but later endorsed him after dropping out.
• The former South Carolina governor, who could help attract moderates on a unity ticket, has said that she is not anti-Trump but that she doesn't "play for second."

Editor's note: This story was updated with additional developments.