- Sources close to Trump spoke anonymously to discuss the outreach efforts
- Doug Burgum, Marco Rubio, JD Vance and Tim Scott were allegedly contacted
- Byron Donalds, Elise Stefanik and Ben Carson are also said to be considered
Donald Trump‘s campaign has begun requesting information from potential vice presidential candidates, sources close to the convicted conservative have said.
Among those who have received requests are North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Florida‘s Marco Rubio, Ohio Sen. JD Vance and South Carolina’s Tim Scott, one person said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the outreach effort.
Florida Rep. Byron Donalds, New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, and Trump’s 2016 rival-turned cabinet member Ben Carson were also said to be on the list – a set of seven who will vetted after they fill out the forms, two others said.
The paperwork sent to each reportedly varies, one of the sources said, as reps for each of the rumored candidates did not respond to requests for comment.
Aides, meanwhile, have cautioned that Trump’s list is not concrete and ever-evolving – and that, at the end of the day, the decision will ultimately be up to him.
Ex-President Donald Trump ‘s campaign has begun requesting information from his potential vice presidential candidates, sources close to his campaign have reportedly revealed. The politician is seen speaking to reporters Wednesday – the day the alleged list was leaked
Among those who have received requests are a few of Trump’s former rivals, including Marco Rubio and Ben Carson. Both lost to Trump in 2016, but have since made amends. Carson, for instance, served on the then-president’s cabinet, but has since kept his distance
‘Anyone claiming to know who or when President Trump will choose his VP is lying,’ Trump campaign spokesperson Brian Hughes said in a statement.
He quickly added: ‘[U]nless the person is named Donald J. Trump.’
The news – first reported by NBC – comes a week after Trump was found guilty by a jury in Manhattan of 34 counts of falsifying business records in a criminal hush money trial, for which he will be sentenced next month.
Trump, in recent months, has shown hesitance to announce a running mate, after his infamous falling out with former right hand Mike Pence following the insurrection on January 6.
He has said he may wait until the upcoming Republican National Convention to unveil the right person, which would be in July.
In the interim, the other spot on the GOP ticket remains largely unknow – fueling speculation.
In an appearance on Newsmax the dat before, Trump listed Scott, Burgum, Rubio, Vance and Carson as among those in contention.
While NBC was the first to report the development, ABC was the one to initially report on the list, which bore additional names such as Stefanik and Burgum.
Also sent vetting forms was Elise Stefanik and JD Vance, both of whom have been steadily rising though the GOP ranks for the past few years
Sen. Tim Scott is also reportedly being considered, after he too lost to Trump in the primary late last year
Rounding out the alleged list, first reported by ABC, is North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and Florida Rep. Byron Donalds. Burgum recently bowed out of the GOP race as well, while Donalds threw in the towel in his quest to be the next Speaker of the House late last year
Stefanik, along with figures like Vance and Donalds, have been steadily rising though the ranks of the GOP for years, each aligning themselves with the potential two-time president at some point in the process.
This is a developing story; please check back for updates.