Mike Pence delivers his State of the State address to a joint session of the legislature at the Statehouse, Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2016, in Indianapolis.
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By picking Pence, Trump could shore up support from the social conservatives that make up much of the base of the Republican party.
Mr Pence, 57, a former congressman, is seen as a safe choice who is popular among conservatives, with Midwestern appeal and the ability to rally more party faithful behind Mr Trump.
In a new report from the political website Roll Call, a source says Donald Trump will choose Mike Pence as his running mate.
The real estate mogul is slated to announce his decision Friday at 11 a.m.in NY, and multiple sources have said Trump’s shortlist is down to Pence, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Gingrich. News of his plan, which was broken by Tom LoBianco of the Indianapolis Star – now a CNN reporter – caused an immediate uproar as critics berated what they described as Pence’s propaganda machine.
His office and his re-election campaign have not released details of any other planned events after several days of repeated public appearances.
Governor Pence is seeking re-election in Indiana. He faces a Friday deadline to withdraw from the governor’s race.
Trump’s advisers told national party officials that he had settled on Pence, according to two Republican sources familiar with the campaign’s operations.
Pence and his wife, Karen, who is also a close adviser, met on July 2 with Trump in person in New Jersey for more than an hour. Gingrich told the AP earlier in the day that he had expected to receive word from Trump sometime after 1 p.m.
Pence also has tweeted his opposition to Trump’s proposal to ban Muslims from entering the U.S. And MSNBC’s on-screen graphic said Trump “could” select Pence.
The 57-year-old Pence is a former U.S. congressman and would be announced before Trump is formally nominated by his party next week at the Republican national convention ahead of the November 8 election.
Trump considered a broader group of candidates before settling on the three finalists. Sen.
Pence reportedly met with Trump’s children – Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, and campaign manager Paul Manfort – earlier this week after the governor introduced the presumptive GOP nominee at an IN rally.
Pence also could give a boost to Trump’s campaign fundraising efforts as he challenges the well-organized effort of his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton.
Newt Gingrich, pictured at an event in 2015, is former House Speaker and once ran his own failed campaign for president in 2012.
In January of past year, he became the ninth GOP governor to reach a deal with the administration to expand Medicaid, after most refused. And as governor of IN, he faced major political backlash over his decision to sign into law a “religious freedom” measure that infuriated major businesses that saw it as anti-LGBT.
So, too, has Christie. The Pence pick could be an indication Trump is coming around toward more standard political behavior, according to the Times.
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A former USA attorney, Christie, 53, is widely seen as one of his party’s most talented retail politicians and has proven himself a biting attack dog on the trail. He has also taken on the important role of heading Trump’s transition planning.
