Trump Is Thinking About His Debates. And His Running Mate’s, Too.

Soon after two overheated Ohio Republicans stood chest-to-chest trading taunts on the debate stage in 2022, Donald J. Trump watched a video of the viral clip and raised an eyebrow.

But it was the composed reaction from a third candidate on the stage that night, J.D. Vance, that helped win over the former president and secured a race-changing Trump endorsement for Mr. Vance in Ohio’s Senate primary.

Mr. Trump is thinking about debate performances once again as he considers whom to pick as the Republican vice-presidential nominee, according to three people who have spoken to the former president.

As he weighs the pros and cons of candidates, Mr. Trump has sought advice on who would be best to help raise money and who would be the most disciplined campaigner. A third factor, the three people say, is who matches up best on the debate stage against Vice President Kamala Harris, a seasoned politician and former prosecutor.

Measuring candidates by debate experience would appear to give at least a nominal edge to Mr. Vance. Now a U.S. senator, Mr. Vance is a leading contender to be Mr. Trump’s running mate and his debate skills have been praised by the former president.

But, like most of his metrics, there is much for Mr. Trump to consider.

Debates have long been of outsize importance to Mr. Trump, who has made clear both publicly and privately that he might not have won the White House in 2016 without them. Even eight years later, Mr. Trump has waxed nostalgic about his 2016 performances at least a dozen times during rallies and interviews since September.