Trump’s Running Mate: Is the Media Just Throwing Out Names?
Over the weekend, speculation circulated once again over Republican presidential nominee-in-waiting Donald Trump’s “short list” of potential running mates when it was reported the list included U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and U.S. Rep. Mia Love (R-Utah).
It was certainly news, particularly to both members of Congress.
Cotton, for his part, said he would certainly consider it if he’s offered the position, but to his knowledge, he isn’t being vetted for vice president:
“I have no reason to think that Donald Trump is gonna ask me to do that and I’m not being vetted,” he said. “We’ve certainly heard from the Trump campaign before and I’ve talked to Donald Trump. He was here in Washington for the AIPAC conference and I and some others met with him. But I wouldn’t say that it’s something that’s not regular or routine.”
Love, on the other hand, seemed less interested in being vice president and more interested in hanging onto her House seat. In fact, she won’t even be in the U.S. during next month’s Republican National Convention in Cleveland:
“I don’t see any upsides to it,” she said in announcing she was giving up her delegate seat at the convention on Friday. “I don’t see how this benefits the state.”
This isn’t the first time the media has thrown out names of “likely” vice presidential nominees, only to have the rumors quickly refuted, which only adds to the mainstream media narrative that Republicans have rejected Trump as their nominee. It does beg the question, however: is the media just throwing names out?
Regardless, the world will know for certain who his running mate will be in about three weeks. The convention kicks off Monday, July 18.
