Multiple reports suggest Donald Trump will select Indiana Gov. Mike Pence as his running mate.
But Trump’s presidential campaign manager said a decision about the vice presidential slot is yet to come, despite the reports from numerous outlets suggesting Trump picked Pence.
Re: @realDonaldTrump VP selection, a decision will be made in the near future and the announcement will be tomorrow at 11am in New York.
— Paul Manafort (@PaulManafort) July 14, 2016
A Pence aide was spotted en route to New York City earlier on Thursday. Other leading contenders such as New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich were seen at home and awaiting the news.
Later Pence himself was shown by local news media boarding a plane in Indiana and then landing in New Jersey. Pence then got into an SUV and was driven off with police escort.
Roll Call cited “a Republican with direct knowledge of the decision” as saying Pence would be announced as Trump’s VP pick. The Indianapolis Star reported Pence will drop out of his race for re-election as governor.
Pence, who previously decided against his own 2016 bid for the White House, said he would vote for Ted Cruz just days before Indiana’s primary. After Cruz lost the Hoosier State and Trump cleared the Republican field, Pence boarded the Trump train.
The Indiana governor has political experience as a former congressman and entertainment skills as a former conservative talk radio host who took to describing his persona as “Rush Limbaugh on decaf.”
Pence’s reported selection could attract some anti-Trump and Never Trump voters because of his conservative record. Illinois Sen. Mark Kirk, who has said he would skip the GOP convention and oppose Trump, reportedly said he would reconsider voting for Trump if the former reality television star picked Pence.
But Pence may not bring votes in crucial swing states in the same way other vice presidential picks could have done. Instead, he may function as a lead attack dog for the presumptive GOP nominee, and showed his propensity to go on the offensive during a joint appearance with Trump earlier this week.
Indiana law marks Friday, July 15, as the last day for gubernatorial candidates to voluntarily withdraw from the ballot.
Pence was facing a tough re-election bid in the fall and Trump’s selection of him could have bailed him out. But the timing could also prove beneficial for Trump who is looking to unite Republicans before the GOP convention so that he can avoid a nomination fight on the floor.
In addition to campaign manager Paul Manafort, Donald Trump Jr. has also said that the decision has not been made yet. But reports that Trump offered the position and Pence accepted have continued throughout Thursday.
Trump was scheduled to make the announcement public on Friday in New York City, but he postponed the event in light of a terrorist attack in France.
