WASHINGTON — Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has begun formally vetting prospective vice presidential picks.
The New York billionaire is considering former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, among what he previously described as a short list of possible running mates. Their inclusion was confirmed by people with direct knowledge of the vetting process who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the situation publicly.
Trump begins the vetting process with less than three weeks before the start of the Republican National Convention, when he said he would publicly unveil his pick.
Gingrich and Christie, who both received vetting paperwork in the last 24 hours, emerged as prominent Trump allies in recent months, even as the presumptive nominee faced deep and sustained skepticism from many GOP leaders. Trump's relationship with other would-be running mates was badly strained in the bruising Republican primary season, leaving him with a small pool of willing and qualified candidates.
Trump on Thursday acknowledged Christie was under consideration.
"I'm certainly looking at him and I always will. Whether it's for that or something else," Trump told conservative radio host Howie Carr. He later described Indiana Gov. Mike Pence as "somebody we respect a lot."
Pence told Indiana reporters Thursday he hasn't spoken with Trump in several weeks and referred questions to the Trump campaign, which declined to comment further on the vice presidential search.
While formal vetting did not begin until this week, Trump told The Associated Press last month he'd narrowed his vice presidential list to "a very good list of five or six people."