Prior to his forthcoming debates with US President Joe Biden, GOP leader Donald Trump revealed on Thursday that he might announce his vice-presidential pick at the Republican National Convention in July.
In an interview with Charles Benson from Scripps News, Trump was questioned about the likelihood of announcing his running mate at the convention in Milwaukee.
Responding to this, the former president said: “That’s probably a pretty good chance, I would say.”
While he said he is not committing it “100 percent”, but added, “you’re getting pretty close. I’ll be doing it in Milwaukee, we’ll be — we’re gonna have a great time.”
This announcement follows Trump’s acceptance to face debate challenges issued by Biden. The first debate is scheduled to be hosted by CNN in June, and another by ABC News in September. However, both debates will occur without live audiences.
The Republican National Convention is scheduled to take place from July 15-18 in Milwaukee. “With tens of thousands traveling from around the country, it is our goal to showcase the vibrant, energetic, world-class city that is Milwaukee, Wisconsin,” the Republican National Committee said.
Calling Milwaukee a “very crucial state”, Trump said, “We are bringing the convention to Milwaukee and we must win Wisconsin.”
Speculation is growing about who the presumptive Republican nominee will choose as his vice-presidential candidate. Several individuals who ran against Trump in the GOP’s presidential primary this year are being considered, including North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum and Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina.
Other potential candidates include Representative Elise Stefanik of New York, Senators JD Vance of Ohio and Marco Rubio of Florida, as well as Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders. South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem was once a leading contender, but her chances diminished after she admitted to killing her own puppy and a family goat. Despite this, Trump has described her story as “tough” and praised her as a “terrific” person.
Earlier this week, biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who endorsed Trump after exiting the presidential race, announced that he would accept an offer to be Trump’s running mate.
Meanwhile, the Biden campaign announced that Vice President Kamala Harris has accepted an invitation from CBS News to debate Trump’s vice-presidential nominee this summer.
Harris’ team informed the network that she is available to debate in-studio on either Tuesday, July 23, or Tuesday, August 13, and asked the Trump campaign to choose one of the dates. The Trump campaign has not yet responded to the debate invitation.