Republican Donald Trump’s list of potential vice presidential candidates got a little shorter on Wednesday when one prominent USA senator withdrew from consideration and a second said she wanted to focus on her home state.
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Corker, who was formally vetted by the Trump campaign, was perhaps more explicit in rejecting the GOP vice-presidential spot.
Some see Corker, who has earned high marks as Foreign Relations chairman, as a potential secretary of state. Which is kinda like going into the boardroom of “The Apprentice” and telling host Donald Trump, “You know what, let me save you the trouble. We had a very open conversation about that, and actually, we have been very candid about it from the very beginning of our meetings”, Corker told The Washington Post in a separate interview.
Over the past month, Corker has been under serious consideration by Trump and had submitted personal documents to attorney A.B. Culvahouse Jr., who is managing the vetting process.
Trump said the list of potential running mates includes “some names that haven’t surfaced yet”.
Mr. Gingrich, an old hand at Washington deal-making who is advising the Trump campaign, stumped Wednesday night with Mr. Trump in OH, which typically is a must-win state for Republicans.
Corker has praised some of Trump’s foreign policy positions during the presidential campaign and was quicker to embrace the presidential contender than other members of Congress. I feel that I have a lot more to do in the US Senate. The Trump campaign, however, has not decided whether or not to allow it.
Along with Ernst’s exit, his announcement leaves three reported possibilities: Chris Christie, Newt Gingrich, and Gov. Mike Pence – not counting a surprise pick.
Trump has chosen Ernst for one of the top speaking slots where she will make national security-focused remarks, a Republican adviser told CNN.
Trump’s campaign said it raised $26 million online in June, a small portion of which will go to the Republican National Committee, as agreed to previously. “I’m not sure having Mike Pence as your running mate is the straw that will work”. So basically, the fact that I said that, they said that I love Saddam Hussein. I’ve gotten to know some of them very well over the past week.
It would be better for him to pick somebody who is term-limited or retired, and for the sake of the person who runs with him hopefully this is their last hurrah because it may be the end of their political future.
“At the same time”, Corker added, “if at some point serving in an administration was something that became an opportunity, there’s just better ways for someone like me to serve than being a candidate for vice president”.
“The rallies that I have back home aren’t quite like this”, Corker told the crowd.
Wednesday, Corker and Ernst removed themselves from contention.
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“I haven’t checked my schedule yet”, Toomey said Wednesday evening when asked if he’d attend the Trump session.
