Former president and presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump has narrowed down his search for a running mate in the 2024 election as next month's Republican National Convention approaches, RadarOnline.com has learned.
As the veepstakes intensifies, sources tell NBC News that Trump has whittled down the pool of vice presidential contenders to four top prospects: North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and Senators Marco Rubio of Florida, Tim Scott of South Carolina, and JD Vance of Ohio.
ABC News reports that Trump's campaign has begun the process of formally requesting information from potential running mates, and top VP candidates, including Burgum and Vance, have already received vetting paperwork.
But insiders with knowledge of the conversations maintain that Trump's shortlist is still fluid and could also include South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, Reps. Elise Stefanik of New York, and Byron Donalds of Florida, and former Housing and Urban Development secretary Ben Carson.
Trump has indicated that a final decision on his VP pick will likely not be made until closer to the Republican National Convention, which opens July 15 in Milwaukee — just four days after he is set to be sentenced for his conviction on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to conceal a $130,000 hush money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels.
"Anyone claiming to know who or when President Trump will choose his VP is lying, unless the person is named Donald J. Trump," said Brian Hughes, a senior advisor to the Trump campaign.
The search has heated up considerably since the conclusion of Trump's trial in New York last week — which VP contenders like Burgum, Vance, and Donalds took as an opportunity to audition for the role, joining the embattled ex-president at the courthouse and defending him on TV.
“This was never about justice. This was about plastering ‘convicted felon’ all over the airwaves, when in reality the only thing Donald Trump is guilty of is being in the courtroom of a political sham trial," Vance told CNN's Wolf Blitzer in an interview on Friday.
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When asked on NBC if he wanted the vice president's job, Rubio said, "I'll do whatever the campaign asked me to do." In an interview on Newsmax, Burgum added, "I just say President Trump is so strong right now, he could get elected without a vice president."
"I thought Tim Scott didn't run as good of a race as he's capable of running for himself, but as a surrogate for me, he's unbelievable. He's been incredible," Trump told Newsmax on Tuesday. "Gov. Burgum from North Dakota has been incredible. Marco Rubio has been great. J.D. Vance has been great. We've had so many great people out there."