'It's very intense': The vice presidential vetting process, from those who have been vetted

WASHINGTON – So you want to be vice president? Prepare for one of the most invasive reviews of your personal life in American politics.

Before they can be selected as a running mate, vice presidential contenders undergo a vetting process that seeks to unearth their darkest secrets − and even those of their family, friends and business partners.

“It’s very intense,” said Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., who was vetted as a potential running mate to former President Barack Obama in 2008 and again in 2016, when he was chosen to be the vice presidential candidate to Hillary Clinton.

Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., one of the eight Republicans vetted by former President Donald Trump this year, described it as a “pretty interesting” process that took “a deep dive into every decision in your life.”

Several Democrats are going through that process right now, as Vice President Kamala Harris − after becoming the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee last week − chooses a prospective vice president of her own.

The review can involve turning over financial and real estate records, dating histories, and even the passwords to social media accounts .

"It's not very pleasant. The truth is, none of us is a saint," said University of Virginia political science professor Larry Sabato. "We forget, they're human beings. And in fact, they're very, very human."

Given his experience with vetting, Kaine said colleagues who are about to undergo the process come to him for advice. It can be surprisingly thorough even to senators and governors, he said, who have already faced scrutiny in statewide races.

“Everything about your life will be known," Kaine said.

A short schedule and a short list

For Harris, the vetting process has been accelerated. While most campaigns have months to narrow down their options, she has had a little under two weeks since President Joe Biden ended his reelection campaign and threw his support behind his vice president. A decision is expected by early next week.

At least seven Democrats have popped up on Harris' short list , including Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker. However, Cooper pulled himself out of the running , citing concerns that his Republican Lieutenant Governor would challenge his authority while he is campaigning out of state, and Whitmer has said she plans to remain governor of Michigan until the end of her term in 2026.

Former President Donald Trump’s campaign requested vetting materials from vice presidential candidates at least six weeks before the Republican National Convention earlier this month when he announced his pick of Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio.

Those who have previously been through vetting told USA TODAY that the Harris campaign's process will likely have the same rigor, albeit focused on a smaller group of prospective candidates.

“They assign a team of people to look at everything in your life – financial records, medical records, interview people you’ve worked with, interview friends and family and you multiple times,” Kaine said.

Pritzker, who has a net worth of around $3.5 billion as heir to the Hyatt family fortune, previously told USA TODAY that his assets wouldn't be a problem as he is vetted, despite lingering questions about potential conflicts of interests related to his independently-managed trusts.

"I've been fully vetted, because I've run for office now twice statewide in the fifth largest state in the country and done that successfully," he said. "Everything's been transparent."

Why campaigns vet running mates

The goal of vetting is to avoid any last-minute surprises that can tank a campaign by unearthing any potential liabilities early on.

History is full of cautionary tales, from vice presidents to Cabinet nominees.

In 1972, Democratic vice presidential nominee Sen. Thomas Eagleton of Missouri, George McGovern's running mate, dropped out of the race after media reports revealed he had been hospitalized and undergone electroshock therapy for depression. In 1993, former President Bill Clinton's nominee for Attorney General, Zoë Baird, had to withdraw her nomination over a controversy that she had hired undocumented immigrants for childcare and did not pay taxes for their labor. Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle withdrew his nomination in 2009 to lead the Department of Health and Human Services when it became clear he failed to report tens of thousands of dollars in charitable donations and consulting income on his taxes.

This time around, former Obama-era Attorney General Eric Holder is leading the Harris campaign's vetting process along with former Biden White House General Counsel Dana Remus. Remus was part of the team that helped Biden pick Harris in 2020 and also led the vetting of U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson when she went through Senate confirmation hearings in 2022.

Contacted by USA TODAY, the Harris campaign declined to comment on the extent of its vetting process. A spokesperson for the campaign confirmed the team is vetting potential candidates and said: “We do not expect to have additional updates until the Vice President announces who will be serving as her running mate.”

Simultaneous tryouts

Vetting also includes an audition for the role of sidekick. “The other part of it is you just get out there and work. Whether it’s being a surrogate, whether that’s TV or rallies or at events, doing what you can to help the campaign financially raise money, all that stuff,” Donalds said.

He joked that pundits often compared Trump’s process for choosing a running mate to “The Apprentice,” the long-running reality TV show that made Trump a household name.

“But in some aspects, it was like ‘The Apprentice,’” he said. “You kind of gotta do your thing and see what happens at the end.”

Several of Harris’ potential running mates have appeared on the campaign trail in recent days.

Shapiro and Whitmer held a joint rally for Harris near Philadelphia Monday. Walz and Pritzker advocated for Harris on marquee Sunday news programs and have been a regular feature of the cable news circuit since Biden dropped out. Beshear spoke at the opening of a Harris campaign office in Georgia on Sunday.

In terms of boosting their chances, being a successful surrogate is one of the best things those potential candidates can do, said former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, a finalist to be Trump’s vice president in the 2016 election.

Gingrich’s advice for those being vetted now? “Go campaign, go on TV, and then you see what the polls say.”

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'Personal chemistry'

Not every prospective vice presidential candidate finds vetting to be remarkably intense.

Gingrich said his vetting experience “wasn’t that big a deal” – especially considering his role as speaker and his own presidential run in 2012.

“We’d been through all the various security clearances over the years, so we were used to producing material," Gingrich said.

He filled out reams of paperwork and sat through around two hours worth of questioning from the Trump campaign. Then he flew out to campaign in Cincinnati for a day with Trump, who he had already known for years.

Regardless of what turns up in the vetting process, it usually comes down to how well the candidate and their potential running mate get along.

While Harris’ team is likely to look at polling to see who might boost her chances in key states, said Kaine, “at the end of the day, it really is a personal chemistry call.”

Contributing: Ken Tran

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'It's very intense': The vice presidential vetting process, from those who have been vetted