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How 'little' Marco Rubio's billionaire friend could sweeten the deal for Trump as he weighs the Florida Republican for VP
Donald Trump could pull in a big boost for his campaign fundraising if he decides to cast aside past grievances and tap 'little Marco' Rubio as his vice presidential running mate.
Billionaire Ken Griffin is a longtime Rubio backer, and has indicated he might jump off the sidelines if Trump, who he has slammed in the past, chose the Florida senator as his running mate.
'If Sen. Rubio is the choice there are plenty of donors I'm sure will come along – including Ken Griffin, allegedly,' Trump advisor Corey Lewandowski told DailyMail.com.
'I don't know if that's true. But that's what they say. If Marco's on the ticket, maybe Ken comes off the sidelines,' he said.
Griffin is one of the most successful hedge funders ever, and his Citadel Capital is packed with holdings of 'Magnificent Seven' stocks like \Nvidia and Amazon, putting his net worth north at $37 billion.
Back in 2022, Griffin called for the party to 'move on' from Trump, a 'three-time loser.'
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio is on the list of possible Donald Trump running mates. He has a network of Florida backers who could help Trump's TV air war against Joe Biden and the Democrats
In May he linked his potential support for Trump to his running mate selection. 'I'm going to wait to see who he picks as his VP candidate,' he told Bloomberg.
But he hasn't ruled out getting behind him, as the Trump camp makes outreach to former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and tries to unify the party following President Joe Biden's debate stumble. Griffin also appeared at a fundraiser with Sen. Tim Scott, another VP contender.
A source told DailyMail.com that 'nothing has changed since Ken last made public comments on this in mid-May' – an indication he isn't going to give up his leverage.
Rubio and his wife Jeanette Christina Dousdebes Rubio were set to attend Trump's rally in Doral, Florida Tuesday, in the latest sign of their bond.
The billionaire's blessing is just one reason Trump might consider naming Rubio, a telegenic lawmaker who knows the Sunday talk show circuit and is steeped in foreign policy issues that could be flashpoints in a vice presidential debate against Kamala Harris.
Rubio raised $52 million for his failed 2016 run, but outside groups kicked in another $220 billion, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
Rubio, 53, is decades younger than Trump, 78, and could reassure parts of the establishment through his support of Ukraine and more traditional views on U.S. alliances.
Trump ridiculed Rubio mercilessly during the 2016 campaign, and Rubio eventually fired back
Citidel CEO billionaire Ken Griffin has been staying on the sidelines but could start writing big checks if Trump picks Rubio
Rubio memorably went on the attack against Trump in 2016, calling him a 'con man' and trying to get under his skin by mocking the size of his hands, in a bit of pushback for Trump's 'little Marco' monicker.
He mockingly said Trump had a 'spray tan' and would 'make American orange,' then asked, 'Have you seen the size of his hands?'
But Rubio has become a loyal supporter in the Senate, even while fellow establishment republicans like Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) have condemned him.
He has more experience than South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, and other contenders when it comes to doing political battle on the airwaves.
His top competition includes Burgum, whose own estimated $100 million wealth allows him to cut a check to the campaing and gives him access to the donor class, and Sen. J.D. Vance, who has been demonstrating his fundraising chops on the trail.
Vance is backed by megadonor Peter Thiel.
As the remains on the short list with just days to go before the start of the GOP convention, Rubio's chief liability remains a legal one. Like Trump, he resides in the state of Florida, and a provision of the 12th Amendment prevents the president and the vice president from residing in the same state. That could put Florida's electors at risk. The odd language states that one of the candidates 'shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves.'
'I don't have a definitive answer. My guess is if Sen. Rubio is picked and decides to continue to be a resident of Florida, then some legal scholar has already vetted this,' said Lewandowski. But he does know which Florida resident won't be moving if the problem persists.
'I don't think Trump moves for anybody. So if somebody's going to be moving, it's not the president,' he said.
Party leaders solved a similar problem in 2000 when George W. Bush put Dick Cheney on the ticket, by designating Cheney a Wyoming resident.
But Rubio, 53, might be able to sit tight.
'If I were advising Rubio, I would tell him not to change his residency until after the election,' Bob Jarvis, a constitutional law professor at Nova Southeastern University, told NBC Miami.