Former President Trump is milking all the suspense from his running mate’s announcement.
The former president has been adamant in recent days about his desire to announce his pick during the Republican National Convention (RNC), describing it as “old-fashioned.” But sources have indicated that the announcement will likely come before the official start of the convention on Monday.
“I would love to do it during the convention, which would be, you know, or right before the convention, like Monday,” Trump said on “The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show” on Friday. do it on Tuesday or Wednesday, actually, but for a series of complex reasons that you understand, pretty much don’t do it.”
Convention rules are such that Trump would have to name his running mate by Monday to allow the party to formally nominate the ticket during a roll call vote. Trump campaign officials on Thursdaypushed backagainst reports that convention rules were adjusted to allow Trump to nominate his running mate later in the week.
“Removing the 1-hour requirement was adopted to allow call-in and show progress to occur quickly and in an orderly manner. Nothing more, nothing less,” RNC chief rules adviser William McGinley posed in X.
The search was restricted to Senator J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), Senator Marco Rubio (R-Florida) and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum (R), although Trump has mentioned Senator Tim Scott (R.S.) in recent interviews ). .C.) as a candidate.
Vance and Rubio are believed to have split from the group, and Vance in particular has several high-profile supporters in the former president’s orbit, including Donald Trump Jr.
Trump has been coy about who he might select, at times suggesting his decision is more or less made and at others indicating he will go back and forth on the choice. A campaign spokesperson said only Trump knows who he will choose, and sources close to the former president were also unsure who the final pick would be.
“The good news is it will all be over soon,” said a Trump ally.
Trump on Friday praised Scott, Vance and Rubio for their recent television appearances and hailed Burgum as a “fantastic governor.”
“I have some very, very good candidates. And you know, I might be leaning one way and that sometimes changes,” Trump said Friday. “You know, all of a sudden you see something you like or don’t like and you lean a little differently.
“It’s like a highly sophisticated version of The Apprentice, if you think about it,” he added.
There has been some speculation that Trump could announce his pick Saturday night at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The rally is taking place less than 50 miles from Ohio, making it a natural place for Trump to potentially introduce Vance as his running mate.
The rumor that the first-term senator from Ohio will be the pick has grown in recent days in light of the rally in Pennsylvania and after it was announced that Donald Trump Jr., who championed Vance as his father’s running mate, will speak at the convention before of the vice-presidential candidate.
Vance’s allies praise him as the most articulate voice in Congress in shaping Trump’s America First agenda, and he has shown a willingness to give combative television interviews to defend the former president. He is close to Donald Trump Jr. and Tucker Carlson, among others in Trump’s orbit, and his Rust Belt upbringing could help him win over working-class voters in key battlegrounds.
However, the senator could be vulnerable to Democratic attacks, especially given his intense criticism of Trump during the 2016 campaign, when Vance called Trump “harmful” and an “idiot.” Vance’s experience could also be an issue, having served less than two years in the Senate.
Rubio’s allies argued that the senator could help expand Trump’s appeal to minority voters, which could destroy President Biden’s coalition and potentially flip swing states in Trump’s favor. The senator is also a more established figure and could help win over voters who supported Nikki Haley during the Republican Party primaries.
However, Rubio and Trump were rivals in the 2016 presidential race, trading personal insults throughout the campaign. The senator would also need to leave Florida to join the ticket due to constitutional restrictions on candidates coming from the same state.
Burgum, who only burst onto the national stage last year with his own 2024 bid, quickly built a strong relationship with Trump. The Wall Street Journal called Burgum the “best man” for the job, citing his ability to govern and his business experience.
But his critics have questioned whether the red-state governor would do much to expand Trump’s appeal, and Trump himself has suggested in recent weeks that Burgum signing a restrictive abortion ban could be a problem.
“Ultimately, it’s more of an instinct. You know, you develop an instinct,” Trump said Friday. “But I like to know all the facts before instinct kicks in.”
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
