Biggest question heading into this summer: Who will be Donald Trump’s vice president?

Trump rightly says the No. 1 qualification is whether he or she has the right muscle to take over in case the president dies. Teddy Roosevelt, Calvin Coolidge and Harry Truman had it. Andrew Johnson didn’t.

This time it involves more than death. The minute President Trump takes the oath of office on Jan. 20, he’s a lame duck. Can’t run again. So, his veep stands immediately as the 2028 front-runner.

Let’s look at the contenders:

Vivek Ramaswamy. Using Trump’s top condition, he should choose Ramaswamy, a billionaire with rich talent: utter brilliance, super stamina, ramrod courage.

Beyond those traits, the Ram is loyal to the nines, backing Trump loudly since dropping out of the presidential race last winter. He’s right on every issue, from stopping the illegal invasion cold to debunking the climate hoax, to defunding the Ukraine kleptocrats.

The Ram is a young force hardly anyone knew a year ago and now towers above the political field, aside from Trump. Lord help anyone who debates Vivek. His brain is a Gatling gun of ideas riddling the airwaves. He even had Ann Coulter yielding that maybe she would vote for him after dismissing his Indian heritage. His stunning blast at Ronna McDaniel in one primary debate finished her with the Republican National Committee. Imagine how he would handle Kamala Harris in a vice presidential face-off. It would be, as Pat Buchanan could resurrect from his 1992 playbook, child abuse.

The Ram is young, just 38. His energy rivals that of an NBA point guard. Give him the VP nomination, and he’ll fast-break toward Nov. 5 with Trump’s America First message.

If not VP, he’d make a hard-charging chief of staff. Give him the keys to the border, and illegals can hang it up. The Ram would lock the floodgates by finishing the wall and sending in the Army. Plus, he would catapult millions of aliens southward so they can’t destroy America. Now if he would only quit with the constant “actually” redundancy. Prospect: Put him on the ticket.

Ron DeSantis. If our top-flight governor leaves Florida for Team Trump, we lose a giant in Tallahassee. Then again, he transfers his spine to the country, slamming the door on illegal immigrants, squatters, men in female sports, and sex in kiddie schoolbooks. On top of all that, he ignites government, as he displayed powering up our state after the Hurricane Ian blackout of 2022.

DeSantis has Trump’s top VP quality, and you better believe DJT knows it. Prospect: Better than you think.

Byron Donalds. I’d hate losing our bad-ass congressman here in Southwest Florida, but at least he would make for the coolest ticket tag: Donald-Donalds.

Donalds has had Donald’s back for years. Now he would be front and center as the toughest attack dog since Spiro Agnew. We need Byron’s bite. He’s spot on with Trump’s agenda and knows how to sell it in powerful paragraphs.

The congressman admits he wants to be governor. So, if DeSantis heads north, Donalds would fill the void easily. Prospect: Definite possibility.

Marco Rubio. Another Floridian. This one is the senator who battled Trump in the 2016 debates and grew up fast after the “Little Marco” blasts. Rubio is as bright as Ramaswamy, flashing smarts that Trump admires. Also, the senator stands with him on every issue and has a grip on foreign affairs. Rubio has come on fast in the veep race and could have the right momentum heading into July’s Milwaukee convention. Prospect: Upset in the making.

Tim Scott. The South Carolina senator is all in with Trump. He probably has the inside lane for the job, especially with DJT lauding him at rallies as key to creating Opportunity Zones that give Black investors tax breaks to boost distressed areas. But is he presidential material? I’m not convinced. Yet who thought Truman was the true man in the thick of World War II? Not many. Prospect: Near the front.

Doug Burgum. This North Dakota governor has a shot after the South Dakota version killed her chance by stupidly adding a dog execution to her book. Burgum seems to be credible. He’s another billionaire and sharp speaker. He’s with it on America First and would be a staunch Trumpster as VP. Really could see him in the Oval in 2029 or, heaven forbid, before. But it’s doubtful he would jazz up the MAGA faithful before Nov. 5. Prospect: On the bubble.

Tulsi Gabbard. The former Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii says all the right things to make herself palatable as Trump’s running mate. But remember, she believes in what she calls climate change, the costliest con in history. Trump calls its latest rat hole package the Green New Scam, rightly blaming the war on oil for smothering energy and sparking inflation. Prospect: Please, no.

Out of the running. Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance is too valuable where he is. Trump Secretary of State and former Army tank honcho Mike Pompeo has defense chief written all over him. Ex-HUD boss Ben Carson doesn’t have the zip to lift the ticket. Nikki Haley said she’ll vote for Trump, but that’s way too late after turning off MAGA voters to the nines. Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene does the heavy lifting for righty; best to stay in the House lashing lefty.

Bucky Fox is an author and editor in Florida.

Image: Wikipedia // public domain