Donald Trump has picked Mike Pence to be his vice-presidential candidate, the Guardian has learned.
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Donald Trump is planning to announce that Indiana Gov. Mike Pence is his choice for his vice presidential running mate, according to a Republican with direct knowledge of the decision.
ABC News reported that Trump has offered Pence to be his running mate, and Pence is reportedly traveling to NY as of Thursday evening.
CBS News’ Major Garrett reported Thursday that Trump is expected to formally call Pence Thursday afternoon.
Trump has spent much of the last week in IN, grounded by an aircraft malfunction to his private jet, and whiled away the days by holding de facto auditions with three contenders: Pence, New Jersey governor Chris Christie and former House speaker Newt Gingrich.
Trump choosing Pence is widely believed to bolster his credibility with conservatives and rally skeptical Republicans around his campaign.
The Indiana governor emerged as a front-runner in the past week, with many of Trump’s advisers reportedly liking what the 57-year-old would bring to the ticket. He won’t run the risk of overshadowing Trump and could help him appeal to disaffected conservatives and evangelical voters.
He was elected governor of IN in 2012 and has served over three years as executive of that state. He was also president of a conservative think tank in the state, the Indiana Policy Review Foundation.
Mr. Trump’s selection of Gov. Mike Pence as his Vice President is an affirmation of the pro-life commitments he has made and will rally the pro-life grassroots. When he took office, the state’s jobless rate was at 20 percent, per CNBC; it has now fallen to 5 percent.
He became a born-again Christian in college and has talked about how his faith drives his politics, saying he is “a Christian, a conservative and a Republican, in that order”.
Pence is best known nationally for signing the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, or RFRA, which opponents said opened the door for legal discrimination against gays.
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The Indiana legislature passed a “fix” to the law, which Pence signed, drawing criticism from some conservatives who thought the law had been watered down too much. The governor met with Trump’s family early Wednesday.
