By Raul Castillo
Jun 23, 2024, 2:45 PM EDT
Former President Donald Trump said this weekend that he has already decided who his vice presidential candidate will be, although he did not give any clues about the person he chose.
Trump told NBC News before a campaign event in Philadelphia that he had already chosen his vice presidential candidate. “In my opinion, yes,” responded the presumptive Republican Party presidential candidate when asked by the news network if he already had a decision.
Likewise, the former president added that “very likely” the person will be in Thursday’s debate against President Joe Biden.
“They will be there,” he asserted. “I think a lot of people will come.”
Although Trump said that “no one knows” who his chosen one is, it has emerged through various media that his list was reduced to three names: Doug Burgum, governor of North Dakota; JD Vance, Senator from Ohio; and Marco Rubio, senator from Florida.
Previously, Trump himself has acknowledged that his list also includes Senator Tim Scott, Senator Tom Cotton, Representative Elise Stefanik, Representative Byron Donalds and former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson.
Among them, Senator JD Vance, 39, is the favorite of Trump supporters, according to a recent poll by the conservative group Turning Point USA in Detroit, Michigan.
43% of respondents chose Vance as their favorite, with a large advantage over fellow senators Tim Scott (15.4%), Marco Rubio (7.7%) and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, with 7%, according to data provided by the Daily Mail.
However, Trump has the last word. The criteria for choosing him, Trump senior adviser Brian Hughes said in a statement, “is a strong leader who will be a great president for eight years after he concludes his next four-year term.”
The former president said he plans to announce his selection as vice president around the Republican National Convention, which will be held July 15-18 in Milwaukee.
“Maybe a little bit earlier, but it could be at the convention,” Trump told NBC News. “But we will have great people.”
Keep reading:
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- Trump confirmed the first names of his possible vice presidents: Who are they?