Former President Donald Trump indicated he has made up his mind about whom he would like to serve as his running mate should he win the Republican presidential nomination.
“Well, I can’t tell you that really,” Trump told Fox News during a town hall in Iowa Wednesday, when asked by the moderators who is in the running to be on a presidential ticket with him. “I mean, I know who it’s going to be.”
Trump’s campaign sought to quickly downplay the remark. A Trump campaign adviser told NBC News “nothing is finalized” on Trump’s vice presidential pick.
“He’ll announce his final pick when he’s ready to,” the adviser said.
Trump hold a significant polling edge over former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, both nationally and in the early states, in the battle for the Republican presidential nomination.
Though he faces legal peril in a series of indictments in federal and state courts — including for his role in attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election — the former president remains the odds-on favorite for the nomination.
In turn, the prospect of whom Trump may pick as a potential running mate has generated substantial interest and speculation.
Pressed again on Wednesday, Trump declined to give any more clues about a potential running mate. Asked if he would be open to mending fences with any of his remaining presidential rivals and select one of them to run alongside him, Trump gave an immediate shout-out to former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who dropped out of the race earlier in the day.
“Well, I’ve already started like Christie better,” Trump said, adding however “I don’t see it,” with regards to having him as his vice president.
Christie’s bid for president was centered on trying to take down Trump, and on Wednesday, he said that even though he’s no longer running, he will still work to ensure Trump doesn’t return to the White House.
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