Donald Trump reportedly sent vetting documents to potential running mates recently ― and the short list should be no surprise.
Multiple news outlets reported Wednesday that Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) and Tim Scott (R-S.C.) plus Reps. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) have received the forms, as have North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R) and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson.
NBC News wrote that the process is “heavily concentrated on four top prospects”: Burgum, Rubio, Scott and Vance.
Notably, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R), Arizona U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) were not mentioned as vetting prospects in several prominent reports, which all cited sources familiar with Trump’s campaign.
But the process is fluid, an insider told the Associated Press.
The former president, who was recently convicted of concealing hush money payments to a porn star before the 2016 election, said previously there was a “good chance” he will announce his vice presidential choice around the Republican National Convention in July, Politico noted.
He and President Joe Biden are scheduled to debate on June 27.
“Anyone claiming to know who or when President Trump will choose his VP is lying, unless the person is named Donald J. Trump,” Trump campaign spokesperson Brian Hughes said in a statement to outlets on Wednesday.
Rubio, for one, told ABC News he had not talked to Trump’s campaign about the vice presidency.