Trump Vetting VP Picks, Has These Select Few in Mind as Race Heats Up - 'Great People Out There'
It's the question everyone's been asking: Who will Donald Trump's running mate be this time?
The former president's team came a little bit closer to providing an answer, as it has reached out to a few members of what are presumably Trump's short list to ask for vetting paperwork.
ABC News was the first to report on the requests, and noted that North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance.
NBC News added South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott to that list, citing an unnamed source, though a second source told NBC that Trump was primarily focused on Burgum, Rubio and Vance — at least for now.
In addition to those four, Florida Rep. Byron Donalds, New York Rep. Elise Stefanik and former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson were also asked to provide some information to the campaign, though NBC said it was “unclear” whether those requests were as “extensive” as those sent to the other prospects.
Burgum and Vance had no comment for ABC, but Rubio actually denied having received any paperwork request.
“I haven't talked to them about vice president,” Rubio told ABC's Rachel Scott on Wednesday, the outlet reported.
However, asked recently by NBC whether he'd be interested in the role, Rubio told the network, “I'll do whatever the campaign asked me to do.”
Trump has previously said that he'd make his choice prior to the Republican National Convention, which kicks off in less than six weeks.
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Regular readers of The Western Journal may recall that in 2016, Trump announced then-Indiana Gov. Mike Pence as his running mate only days prior to the convention.
Politico speculated that Burgum was currently leading the pack because of his “fundraising and donor outreach,” but curiously cited “some on the outside” as its source for that speculation, rather than Trump insiders. (It's possible that there aren't any Trump insiders willing to leak to left-leaning Politico.)
Trump's short list of prospects remains “fluid” and “at times includes more than a half-dozen names,” NBC reported.
“Anyone claiming to know who or when President Trump will choose his VP is lying, unless the person is named Donald J. Trump,” Trump campaign senior adviser Brian Hughes told NBC.
Asked directly Tuesday night during a phone interview on Newsmax, Trump complimented all four of the top contenders, including Scott.
“I thought Tim Scott didn't run as good of a race as he's capable of running for himself, but as a surrogate for me, he's unbelievable. He's been incredible,” Trump said, according to ABC.
“Gov. Burgum from North Dakota has been incredible. Marco Rubio has been great. J.D. Vance has been great,” he added. “We've had so many great people out there.”
However, NPR added a few names to the list based on their history of loyalty to the former president and their ability to “help him win the race,” primarily by appealing to “voting blocs Trump is looking to tap into.
In addition to the names already mentioned, NPR added South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, former TV news anchor and Arizona senatorial candidate Kari Lake, former Trump press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, and Trump's former ambassador to the U.N., Nikki Haley.
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George Upper is the former Editor-in-Chief of The Western Journal and was a weekly co-host of "WJ Live," powered by The Western Journal. He is currently a contributing editor in the areas of faith, politics and culture. A former U.S. Army special operator, teacher and consultant, he is a lifetime member of the NRA and an active volunteer leader in his church. Born in Foxborough, Massachusetts, he has lived most of his life in central North Carolina.
George Upper, is the former editor-in-chief of The Western Journal and is now a contributing editor in the areas of faith, politics and culture. He currently serves as the connections pastor at Awestruck Church in Greensboro, North Carolina. He is a former U.S. Army special operator, teacher, manager and consultant. Born in Massachusetts, he graduated from Foxborough High School before joining the Army and spending most of the next three years at Fort Bragg. He holds bachelor's and master's degrees in English as well as a Master's in Business Administration, all from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He and his wife life only a short drive from his three children, their spouses and his grandchildren. He is a lifetime member of the NRA and in his spare time he shoots, reads a lot of Lawrence Block and John D. MacDonald, and watches Bruce Campbell movies. He is a fan of individual freedom, Tommy Bahama, fine-point G-2 pens and the Oxford comma.
Birthplace
Foxborough, Massachusetts
Nationality
American
Honors/Awards
Beta Gamma Sigma
Education
B.A., English, UNCG; M.A., English, UNCG; MBA, UNCG
Location
North Carolina
Languages Spoken
English
Topics of Expertise
Faith, Business, Leadership and Management, Military, Politics
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