Republican Donald Trump has entered the final phase of his high-profile search for a running mate, arranging last-minute meetings with his finalists and family members as his staff prepares for a Friday announcement.
Trump, his adult children and key staffers huddled with one of the prospects, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, Wednesday morning at the governor’s mansion, a day after the pair campaigned together in the state. They were joined by Trump’s three adult children, along with his son-and-law and campaign chair Paul Manafort, who were seen leaving the residence. Hours later, Newt Gingrich, another finalist, was spotted with Trump’s entourage at a downtown Indianapolis hotel. Sen. Jeff Sessions was spotted arriving at the same hotel not long after Gingrich left.
Trump’s family, including Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner, also met privately with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on Tuesday. The meeting was confirmed by a source with direct knowledge of the meeting, but was not authorized to discuss it publicly.
The meetings have been designed to let Trump’s family get to know the candidates better before the presumptive nominee formalizes his decision.
Pence, Chris Christie and Gingrich were said to be the final contenders for vice presidential candidate on the Republican ticket less than a week before the GOP meets in Cleveland for the formal nomination. That’s according to a person familiar with Trump’s thinking, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to discuss the vetting process. Trump said in a Tuesday interview with the Wall Street Journal that Sessions, Trump’s top Senate advocate, is also still in the mix.
Pence is a steady, staunch conservative who would help calm nervous Republican wary of Trump’s impulsive style. Gingrich is a boisterous rabble-rouser who has spent decades in Washington, including as House speaker. Christie, a one-time rival, has become one of Trump’s most trusted advisers.
Trump has spent weeks consulting with friends and family as he weighs the most important decision of his campaign to date. He’s also brought his finalists on tour, having them opening for him at speeches and rallies to test their receptions before his crowds.
“It’s a little bit like The Apprentice,” Gingrich, the former House Speaker, said in a Tuesday interview with Fox News Channel. “You find out sooner or later who the last one standing is.”
Introducing Trump at a rally in Westfield, Ind., on Tuesday evening, Pence received an enthusiastic reception as he compared Trump to Republican icon Ronald Reagan and dug into Trump’s likely Democrat rival, Hillary Clinton.
Trump told the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday he is looking for a “fighter skilled in hand-to-hand combat” as his second-in-command, but hadn’t seen enough of Pence to measure his fight. Pence’s speech appeared to be an effort from the former congressman to show Trump he could take on such a role.