UPDATE, 7/15, 11:00am – Donald Trump has finally, officially announced that Mike Pence will be his Vice President.
I am pleased to announce that I have chosen Governor Mike Pence as my Vice Presidential running mate. News conference tomorrow at 11:00 A.M.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 15, 2016
UPDATE, 7:30pm – Trump has indefinitely postponed his announcement after learning of terror attacks in Nice, France.
In light of the horrible attack in Nice, France, I have postponed tomorrow's news conference concerning my Vice Presidential announcement.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 14, 2016
Trump may be using foreign policy as a cover for a bungled announcement. In an interview with Greta Van Susteren, Trump admitted that he hasn’t quite made up his mind on who should be his second in command.
"I haven't made my final decision," Trump tells @greta on VP choice.
— Steve Holland (@steveholland1) July 14, 2016
UPDATE, 6:30pm – Indiana governor Mike Pence has arrived at an airport in New Jersey.
BREAKING: Indiana Gov Mike Pence exits plane at Teterboro Airport in NJ #NBC4NY #DECISION2016 pic.twitter.com/I5eXEhZcVk
— Steven Bognar (@Bogs4NY) July 14, 2016
NBC News is now confirming that Mike Pence has accepted Donald Trump’s offer to accompany him on the ticket.
#Breaking: Donald Trump to select Indiana Gov. Mike Pence as running mate, NBC News confirms https://t.co/tQ5gsDL25h pic.twitter.com/Uf8F9lCFLn
— NBC Chicago (@nbcchicago) July 14, 2016
CNN is also confirming.
Donald Trump offered Gov. Mike Pence the VP slot on his ticket, CNN learned; Pence accepted https://t.co/zKkObTDsnD pic.twitter.com/jDmEIdiOXE
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) July 14, 2016
UPDATE, 6:00pm – Donald Trump, Jr. is playing with the media, insisting that there is no drama embroiling the “top 3” Vice Presidential candidates, and joking that the Trump ticket could end up being a father/daughter operation.
Breaking news… VP pick is actually @IvankaTrump ????????????????????????
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) July 14, 2016
Couldn't resist????????????
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) July 14, 2016
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Sources close to the Donald Trump campaign are telling Roll Call and the New York Times that the Indiana governor may likely be Trump’s Vice Presidential candidate. According to Fox News, Pence is “taking steps” to clear his schedule, even dropping his gubernatorial re-election bid.
But not everyone is sure Trump has settled on a Vice President.
The Indiana governor, who we profiled earlier this week, has been a front-runner for the nod for weeks, as Trump struggled to find common ground with GOP voters who oppose his nomination. Choosing Pence, an ardent conservative with strong credentials, particularly among socially conservative Republicans, could signal that Trump is making an effort to unite the party.
Pence is also a strong choice to bolster Donald Trump’s credibility with “Rust Belt” and Midwestern Republicans who, in the primaries, were closely split between Donald Trump and Ted Cruz.
But not everyone is buying the story. Erick Erickson of The Resurgent, who has been a vocal Trump opponent, says sources on the ground in Cleveland tell him that Pence’s name was floated as a way to calm the torrid delegate waters.
Here in Cleveland several people tell me the Pence name was thrown out to see the reaction at CNP, which is meeting before the convention.
— Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) July 14, 2016
Hot Air‘s Allapundit thinks Pence is a ruse.
Pence is a head fake. I just wonder if he knows it yet.
— Allahpundit (@allahpundit) July 14, 2016
Trump supporters on social media, not pleased with the Pence selection, are calling shenanigans.
See? Told ya. The selection has not been made yet. Pence "confirmations" are media click-baithttps://t.co/97HGWyMrvs
— A.J. Delgado (@AJDelgado13) July 14, 2016
Other Washington insiders think the negative reaction from Trump’s target audience has all but cost Pence the VP slot.
Decent chance the leak has cost Pence the VP nod.
— Phil Kerpen (@kerpen) July 14, 2016
There are concerns with Pence, aside from just crowd approval. It remains to be seen how the two political leaders would reconcile some of their stances, however. Pence is a strong proponent of international trade and supportive of the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Trump has been a vocal trade protectionist, as well as moderately liberal on economics, in general.
Pence has also been harshly critical of the New York real estate mogul’s immigration policies on social media.
Calls to ban Muslims from entering the U.S. are offensive and unconstitutional.
— Governor Mike Pence (@GovPenceIN) December 8, 2015
Presidential candidates don’t often get a polling bounce from their VP selection, but Pence does have the advantage of bringing a group of voters to the table that Trump was having a hard time wooing.
