Former President Donald Trump speaks at a press conference at Trump Tower after deliberations Thursday resulted in a guilty verdict on all counts in his hush money trial at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York on May 31, 2024. File photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
June 23 (UPI) — Donald Trump said he knows who his running mate will be, the former U.S. president said Saturday, but added he has not told the candidate yet.
“Nobody knows,” Trump said in a campaign stop in Pennsylvania, considered a swing state in this year’s election. The event took place at Liacouras Center on Temple University’s campus.
Trump has insisted that he will not name the vice presidential candidate until the Republican National Convention, scheduled for July 15-18 in Milwaukee, but added Saturday that the person will most likely attend Thursday’s debate against President Joe Biden.
“In my mind, yeah,” Trump said of the person’s attendance at the debate. “They’ll be there,” he continued. “I think we have a lot of people coming.”
Trump has insisted that no one knows his choice yet, including the candidate, but speculation has been on Sen. Marco Rubio of Fla., Gov. Doug Burgum of North Dakota, Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio.
Burgum and Vance are considered the top two finalists, NBC News reported.
Rubio is still being considered, but the U.S Constitution would require one of the men to establish residency outside Florida.
Brian Hughes, a top senior adviser to Trump, said in a statement that the campaign’s top selection criterion for a running mate “is a strong leader who will make a great president for eight years after his next four-year term concludes.”
