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Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is said to be narrowing his choice for vice president and is expected to make the announcement Friday, several media sources reported late Wednesday.
Paul Manafort, Trump's campaign chairman, told CNN that Trump will make the announcement in New York. NBC News also reported Wednesday that Trump will make his choice on Friday, although it hinted the name might be leaked before then.
Among the likely choices are Indiana Governor Mike Pence, who appeared at a fundraising event with Trump on Tuesday, former speaker of the House Newt Gingrich or New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. Christie, once a Republican candidate rival of Trump, threw his support behind the billionaire businessman after dropping out of the race earlier this year.
Pence or Gingrich
Several news media, including U.S. News & World Report and Politico, say the race is between Pence and Gingrich.
Manafort is pushing for Pence, according to the news magazine U.S. News. Sources within the Trump campaign told the magazine the former U.S. congressman is viewed as reliable and respectable, yet "someone they can control."
However, Trump's children, as well as Ivanka Trump's husband, Jared Kushner, seem to prefer Gingrich, according to the online news site Politico, which cited multiple sources involved in campaign deliberations.
However, the Republican candidate also spoke highly of Christie on Fox News on Wednesday. Trump and Christie have a long history.
"I tell you Chris Christie is somebody I have liked for a long time," Trump told Fox's Bret Baier. "He is a total professional. He’s a good guy, by the way. A lot of people don’t understand that."
Kushner, who has a large, behind-the-scenes role in Trump's campaign, is not a fan of Christie, who as a federal prosecutor sent Kushner's father, Charles Kushner, to prison a decade ago. The elder Kushner pleaded guilty to 18 counts of illegal campaign contributions, tax evasion and witness tampering in 2005. He received a two-year prison sentence under a plea deal negotiated by Christie.
One campaign source, speaking to Politico on the condition of anonymity, put it best: "Trump is going to pick whoever he's going to pick."
The Republican National Convention will be held next week (July 18-21) in Cleveland.
Democratic candidate
Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton is also interviewing potential vice presidential picks. She is expected to announce her choice next week.
Among the people being mentioned for the role are Virginia Senator Tim Kaine.
Clinton insiders told The Hill on Wednesday that Kaine "checks off all the boxes" as a candidate: a strong surrogate on the campaign trail, but someone with whom Clinton can see herself working with once in office.
Also on a list of possible vice presidential choices are Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, Labor Secretary Tom Perez, New Jersey Senator Cory Booker and Housing Secretary Julian Castro.
Clinton's campaign also was said to be vetting retired Navy Admiral James Stavridis -- dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University near Boston and a former supreme allied commander of NATO -- as a potential vice presidential running mate, a source told Reuters on Tuesday.
The Democratic National Convention takes place July 25-28 in Philadelphia.
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