(Reuters) – Donald Trump is reaching out to friends, allies, and donors for advice on who to pick as his vice presidential running mate, as he gets closer to securing the Republican White House nomination, according to five close allies of the former president.
Trump has yet to make a final decision, the allies said, but this indicates he is planning for a likely general election showdown with Democratic President Joe Biden in November.
“Every day, everywhere he goes, it’s, ‘What do you think of this person. What do you think of that person?'” one close ally said, describing Trump’s phone calls.
The allies, two of whom have direct knowledge of the inner workings of Trump’s campaign, spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Trump has received an array of names in response to his queries, many of which are either women or African American. This is a clear sign that Trump needs to improve his standing among both demographics to help win back the White House.
The list includes South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, South Carolina U.S. Senator Tim Scott, New York congresswoman Elise Stefanik, Trump’s former White House secretary and current Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, and Ben Carson, Trump’s former Housing and Urban Development secretary.
During a Fox News town hall in Iowa on Jan. 10, Trump declared that “I know who it’s going to be,” but allies say he has continued to seek advice on this issue since then.
A former Trump White House official, still in touch with the former president, said Trump has expressed a preference for choosing a woman, believing it would help his prospects, with Stefanik and Noem high on his list.
There is broad resistance to choosing Nikki Haley, Trump’s former U.N. ambassador and last surviving nomination rival, according to a donor close to Trump.
When he first ran for president in 2016, Trump realized he needed a running mate who could help shore up support among Republican evangelicals and social conservatives, so he chose Mike Pence, the then Indiana governor and fierce social conservative.
This year, with an eye on the general election map, there is the belief that “A woman on the ticket could be very helpful. An African-American on the ticket could be very helpful,” according to a donor.
Noem, Stefanik, Scott, and Carson have all been on the campaign trail supporting Trump in states like Iowa and New Hampshire, where their vigorous appearances are seen as auditions for the vice-presidential pick.
Other figures such as Kari Lake and Marjorie Taylor Greene are fiercely loyal to Trump, but are considered too polarizing for the presidential ticket.
Whit Ayres, a Republican pollster, says Trump’s pick may not even matter, as “It’s all about the top of the ticket, especially when the top of the ticket is so dominant a personality as Donald Trump, should he win the nomination.”
