Gingrich Officially Being Considered For Trump’s VP Position

A day after confirming that New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is being vetted for Donald Trump’s vice president, reports now confirm former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich is also being vetted. The two candidates are the most rumored picks among Trump’s short list of potential running mates.

According to Fox News, Trump told the Associated Press in June that he had narrowed his VP pool to “a very good list of five or six people.”

On June 23, after having been fired as Trump’s campaign manager just days earlier, Corey Lewandowski confirmed for CNN that “no more than four individuals” comprised Trump’s picks. Lewandowski added that they are “the absolute very best,” reports Vanity Fair. “They’re household names,” he continued, “[t]hey’re people that he has said will help him achieve his legislative agenda, people who are going to be very, very happy when he makes the determination of which one of those he’s going to select.”

As Fox News notes, Trump has publicly stated that he is looking for a running mate with strong political experience.

“I think that’s good for a number of reasons,” Trump said. “No.1, if you win, which hopefully we will. I want help with – you know, I want a hand with legislation, getting things through. And if you bring a business person – we don’t need another business person.”

Trump added that having a vice president with a long political history adds a layer of trust.

“For the most part they’ve been vetted over the last 20 years,” Trump said. “in other words, you people have gone to every dinner that they’ve ever attended, one way or another.” He continued that for a candidate with a business or military background “the vetting is a whole different story. Whereas the politicians are, generally speaking, pretty well vetted.” 

Sources: Fox News, Vanity Fair / Photo Credit: Newt Gingrich / Instagram