Donald Trump’s campaign chairman said on Tuesday that he thinks Mr. Trump understands he wants his vice presidential pick to be known before next week’s GOP convention in Cleveland.
“He said he would decide by the end of the week and make it public,” Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort said on “Fox and Friends.”
“I think he understands that he wants his vice presidential candidate to be known before the weekend begins, and he wants next [week’s] focus to be on the combined Trump goals for his presidency and why he’s the best man to lead this country,” Mr. Manafort said.
Mr. Manafort was read a list of six possible picks: Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn and Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas.
“The qualities that are represented by that list of people are the qualities that will be in the candidate he selects, I can tell you that,” he said.
“Donald Trump basically said at the very beginning of the process he wanted somebody who understood Washington, would be a partner in dealing with the issues that had to be dealt with [and] breaking the gridlock and bringing real change,” he said.
“And he wanted somebody who could be president on day one,” Mr. Manafort said. “Everybody on that list fits those qualifications.”
Asked to sum up a theme of what next week will be about, Mr. Manafort used Mr. Trump’s slogan and said: “Make America great again.”
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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