WASHINGTON (AP) — Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has begun formally vetting prospective vice presidential picks.
The New York billionaire is considering former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, among what he previously described as a short list of possible running mates. Their inclusion was confirmed by people with direct knowledge of the vetting process who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the situation publicly.
Trump begins the vetting process with less than three weeks before the start of the Republican National Convention, when he said he would publicly unveil his pick.
Gingrich and Christie, who both received vetting paperwork in the last 24 hours, emerged as prominent Trump allies in recent months, even as the presumptive nominee faced deep and sustained skepticism from many GOP leaders. Trump's relationship with other would-be running mates was badly strained in the bruising Republican primary season, leaving him with a small pool of willing and qualified candidates.
Trump on Thursday acknowledged Christie was under consideration.
"I'm certainly looking at him and I always will. Whether it's for that or something else," Trump told conservative radio host Howie Carr. He later described Indiana Gov. Mike Pence as "somebody we respect a lot."
Pence told Indiana reporters Thursday he hasn't spoken with Trump in several weeks and referred questions to the Trump campaign, which declined to comment further on the vice presidential search.
While formal vetting did not begin until this week, Trump told The Associated Press last month he'd narrowed his vice presidential list to "a very good list of five or six people."
His vice presidential pick could be crucial to easing the concerns of Republicans who worry about his lack of political experience, as well as his temperament to be commander in chief. Tapping a political insider would also be a way for Trump to signal a willingness to work with the party establishment he has thoroughly bashed even after emerging as the presumptive nominee.
#1: Hondo68 To: Deckard (#0)
Globalist NWO neocon, bushbot, mainstream Republican, Hillary clone.
Hondo68 posted on 2016-07-01 18:23:22 Reply Private Reply
#2: tomder55 To: Deckard (#0)
tomder55 posted on 2016-07-01 18:40:22 Reply Private Reply
#3: misterwhite To: Deckard (#0)
And the press is quiet. As they say in the action movies, "It's too quiet".
They're waiting for Trump to make his selection, then BAM -- "How could he! What a lousy choice and here's 25 reasons why. What was he thinking?? How stupid is he?? And he wants to be President??!
misterwhite posted on 2016-07-01 20:02:18 Reply Private Reply
#4: Stoner To: misterwhite (#3)
Stoner posted on 2016-07-01 20:50:17 Reply Private Reply
#5: BorisY To: Deckard (#0)
about
Bay
Buchanan
that
reform
party
black
lady
VP
from
california
I
liked
her
a
lot
Make
America
America
again
love
boris
ps
Ezola B. Foster
In 1992, she was a staunch defender of the police officers in the Rodney King beating case and organized a testimonial dinner for Laurence Powell, one of the convicted officers, in 1995
pss
John
Birch
Society
Couldn't
think
of
it
BorisY posted on 2016-07-01 20:57:25 Reply Private Reply
#6: GrandIsland To: Deckard (#0)
GrandIsland posted on 2016-07-01 21:06:54 Reply Private Reply
#7: Hondo68 To: BorisY, *Border Invasion* (#5)
In 2004 Ezola and a bunch of us were in front of the Federal Building on Wilshire Blvd. in Westwood, CA protesting the George W. Bush illegal alien amnesty, while the LaRaza Republican "guest workers" were across the street in front of the Veterans Cemetery, burning the American flag.
The hate America Republicans voted to re-elect Bush and his open borders amnesty team. Bush won 4 more years to continue the destruction of America, but his reconquista amnesty was defeated.
Ezola is too good for Trump.
Hondo68 posted on 2016-07-01 21:49:38 Reply Private Reply
#8: buckeroo To: hondo68 (#7)
I was there, too. And Ezola *IS* to good for Trump.
buckeroo posted on 2016-07-01 21:56:07 Reply Private Reply