With the Republican National Convention kicking off in less than a week in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, speculation is rife about who former President Trump will pick as his running mate and when he might announce it.
And the former president has given some hints.
“I want to do it during the convention,” Trump said during an appearance on Fox News’ “Hannity.”
But Trump added in an interview Monday night that “my aides say it’s a little complicated.”
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Former President Donald Trump, who is considered a possible Republican presidential candidate, spoke at a rally at Greenbriar Farm in Chesapeake, Virginia on June 28, 2024. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
“Maybe a little before the tournament, but not too much. Maybe during the tournament,” he reiterated.
As for who he would choose, Fox News host Sean Hannity listed four names commonly mentioned on Trump’s shortlist: Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida, J.D. Vance of Ohio, Tim Scott of South Carolina and Gov. Doug Burgum of North Dakota.
“The names you mentioned are certainly under consideration,” the former president responded.
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He added, “We have a lot of great people. They say the Republican Party has great people.”
“We haven’t made any final decisions yet, but we have some ideas about where we’re going,” Trump stressed.
This differs from what Trump said during a campaign rally in Philadelphia last month, when he said he had chosen who his running mate would be but had not told that person.
When asked by NBC News if he had chosen his running mate, Trump replied, “In my opinion, yes.”
Asked if his pick knew, the former president replied, “No, nobody knows.”
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In an interview with Fox News on Monday, the former president said his running mate is “someone who would do a great job as president” and “someone who would help me get elected,” and that “there’s nothing wrong with that.”
Trump, who in May was convicted of 34 felony counts in the first criminal trial in U.S. history against a former or current president, appears to be relishing the intrigue and speculation surrounding his choice of running mate and continues to drop hints.
Several Trump political insiders who spoke to Fox News offered differing opinions on who the most likely candidates are, but three names continue to be mentioned: Burgum, Vance and Rubio.
North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum (left), Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance (center) and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio are widely considered the front-runners to be former President Trump’s 2024 vice presidential nominee. (Getty Images)
Rubio is scheduled to work with Trump at a campaign rally on Tuesday night at Trump’s Doral golf club near Miami, Florida.
The former president is scheduled to hold a rally on Saturday near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, not far from the Ohio border, but it is unclear at this point whether Vance will be campaigning for Trump.
The Trump campaign continues to refute the widespread speculation.
“Anyone who claims to know who President Trump will choose as his vice president or when he will choose him is lying, unless that person is Donald J. Trump,” Brian Hughes, a senior adviser to the Trump campaign, told Fox News.
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