REVEALED: Fox News Star Who Almost Became Trump's VP — Before Campaign Staff Revealed Massive Problem
Donald Trump reportedly was considering choosing Fox host Maria Bartiromo as his running mate.
Jan. 9 2025, Published 1:30 p.m. ET
Donald Trump was set to choose a Fox host for VP until a major issue threw a wrench in his plan.
RadarOnline.com can reveal the president-elect was pining for "Money Honey" journalist Maria Bartiromo to be his right hand (wo)man before landing on J.D. Vance, but staff worried there wasn't enough time to "vet" her for the job.
Politico's Alex Isenstadt claimed Trump was 'dead serious' on choosing Maria Bartiromo in his new book.
In his upcoming book Revenge: The Inside Story of Trump’s Return to Power, Politico's Alex Isenstadt writes Trump was "seriously considering" the Fox Business Network anchor and "was dead serious about Bartiromo and was making the case for her during the flight to Butler (Pennsylvania) before the first attempt on his life."
Trump, 78, narrowly escaped the first of two assassination attempts at a campaign rally in Butler on July 13.
Vance was selected for the job two days later, with Trump's team disregarding the idea Bartiromo was ever considered for the job.
Trump selected J.D. Vance as his running mate two days after he was allegedly considering the 'Money Honey' journalist for the job.
Bartiromo is most famous for her Wall Street connections and her time as CNBC's NYSE floor reporter, where she earned her "Money Honey" nickname.
Isenstadt continued: "She was great with the big-donor Wall Street types and she knew how to do TV, Trump told his team."
The author claimed Trump's team was concerned they didn't have time to validate Bartiromo, however, as thoroughly as other candidates.
The idea was shut down in mid-July by his chief of staff, Susie Wiles, dubbed the "Ice Maiden." She reportedly "put an end to the conversation."
Ultimately, Ohio Senator Vance was selected for the No. 2 job.
The book said Bartiromo remained a "Trump favorite," with her and the president-elect having shared dinners at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort and Bartiromo having consistently supported his policies on air.
Bartiromo solidified her place as one of Fox News' top anchors when shifting to the network in 2014.
In addition to her TV career, Bartiromo has written books, including The Seven Figure Mindset and The Cost of Capitalism.
Her shift to Fox News in 2014 marked a new phase in her career, solidifying her place as one of the network's top anchors.
She's continuously been a vocal supporter of Trump, which has sparked both praise and criticism throughout her career – especially during her coverage of the 2020 election and its aftermath.
Despite Vance not being the MAGA leader's "one and only," Trump's incoming White House communications director, Steven Cheung, described the VP as the "perfect" running mate last year.
Cheung said: "Vice President-elect Vance is the ideal choice to join President Trump's ticket. There is no stronger defender of the America First agenda, and he will continue leading the movement for years."
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Steven Cheung previously described Vance as the 'perfect' running mate for Trump.
Excerpts from Revenge also claim a Fox News employee leaked questions to Trump before a January town hall with Brett Baier and Martha MacCallum.
A senior aide received texts with images of the questions and follow-ups, which Trump reportedly saw as "attacks" meant to put him on the defensive.
While Fox News denies the leak and has launched an investigation, they have no evidence to support the claim.
