Hillary Clinton’s campaign came out swinging on Friday against Donald Trump’s running mate, Gov. Mike Pence of Indiana.
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Manafort fanned speculation saying that despite reports – including CNN’s – that Trump has picked Pence, “until he announces it, it’s not final”.
The presidential candidate had previously announced that he would postpone the announcement after the attack in Nice, which has left dozens dead. Trump had postponed a Friday event to announce his decision following the deadly truck attack in France.
Pence is a born-again Christian, who signed a religious freedom bill into law that some said legalized discrimination against gays, before it was amended.
Downs says, if Pence is selected, Hoosiers can expect very different races throughout the IN ballot.
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence is nearing a deadline to withdraw from his re-election bid following Donald Trump’s offer of the vice presidential nomination.
Pence keeps a low-profile and can play a crucial role in uniting the Republican party to rally around the controversial billionaire ahead of the November presidential elections.
But Mr Manafort dismissed suggestions in an interview on Fox News Channel that Trump was having second thoughts about his choice. He said Trump was planning on making an announcement this weekend. “News conference tomorrow at 11:00 A.M.”, Trump tweeted, confirming the worst kept secret in politics. The person was not authorized to discuss the deliberations publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity. Trump named Pence as his vice presidential running mate, on July 15, 2016.
The selection of Pence, a 57-year-old former radio host and congressman whose social conservatism is well known, could soothe right-leaning voters who are skeptical of Trump’s views on social issues.
Trump, a NY businessman who has never held elected office, had chosen Pence from a short list that included two other finalists, former House of Representatives Speaker Newt Gingrich and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.
Trump met Pence on Wednesday in IN, as he has done with other candidates he has said are his top choices.
Mr Pence also hails from the mid-west, which Mr Trump’s team has identified as perhaps the key battleground in his quest for the White House.
The announcement comes just a few days before the start of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, where Trump will be confirmed as the Republican nominee barring an act of God.
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Top party officials are already in Cleveland, where a committee voted late on Thursday to rebuff a push to let delegates vote for any presidential candidate they would like.
