Former President Donald Trump played a teasing game Wednesday on the subject of his running mate, saying he has made his choice while offering a jab at former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.
Christie, who challenged Trump for the Republican presidential nomination and ran on a platform of attacking the former president at every turn, suspended his campaign Wednesday.
Trump said he knows who his running mate would be but refused to name names during a Fox News town hall on Wednesday.
“I can’t tell you that really. I mean, I know who it’s going to be,” he said when asked whom he would want to serve as his vice president.
After Bret Baier asked him to “give us a hint,” Trump said, “We’ll do another show sometime.”
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Baier hosted the town hall with Martha MacCallum, who asked a follow-up question.
“Well, what about any of the people who you’ve run against? Would you be open to mending fences with any of them?” she said.
“Oh, sure. I will, I will. I’ve already started to like Christie better,” Trump said, speaking after Christie had suspended his campaign.
“Christie for vice president?” MacCallum asked.
“I don’t see it, I don’t see it. That would be an upset. Christie for vice president. Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to announce — nah,” the former president said.
Last spring, Axios reported that Trump was “strongly considering” picking a female running mate, citing “people who discussed the topic with him.”
In September, the GOP front-runner told NBC News he liked “the concept” of choosing a woman.
Fox News offered the names of three possibilities: Republican Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, who is competing with Trump for the GOP presidential nomination.
Trump advisers Chris LaCivita and Jason Miller said the former president has spoken about what he wants in a running mate but is not naming names, according to the Des Moines Register in Iowa.
“That’s an issue that we really have not in any great detail discussed,” LaCivita said. “I’m sure when that time comes, everybody will know who it is.”
Reuters speculated that Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York was on Trump’s list.
“I see no better fit than Elise Stefanik, but the president will take his own counsel,” Mike Caputo, an adviser and friend of the former president, told the Daily Caller.
Should Trump pick a female running mate?
“She absolutely has more, let’s just call it ‘testicular fortitude’ than most men in the Republican Party. She’s got more balls than any other candidate that might be considered for vice president,” Caputo said.
“Loyalty. That’s the necessary characteristic of anyone who wants to be VP. President Trump and the movement was dragged down by disloyalty in the White House,” an unnamed “source close to Trump” told the outlet.
NBC News has suggested Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia is also in the running, saying she wants the post.
