He thinks he’s running to be Donald Trump’s vice president; he’s probably actually running to be the next Pete Buttigieg, a second-tier cabinet official with a strong TV presence and a somewhat thankless portfolio. David French As an eloquent and passionate defender of Trump, quite seriously. As a potential Trump vice president, moderately seriously. Michelle Goldberg He’s running a serious campaign to build a right-wing media brand. What matters most about him as a presidential candidate?

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Persons: Ross Douthat, Donald Trump’s, he’s, Pete Buttigieg, David French, Michelle Goldberg He’s, Katherine Mangu, Andrew Yang, Daniel McCarthy, Ron Paul, Bruni He’s, Herman Cain, Marianne Williamson, — Organizations: Trump, Oval, Republican, Democratic