Gingrich, Christie on Trump vet list

Paperwork sent to both, sources say

This March 8, 2014, file photo shows former House Speaker Newt Gingrich addressing the Conservative Political Action Conference annual meeting in National Harbor, Md.
This March 8, 2014, file photo shows former House Speaker Newt Gingrich addressing the Conservative Political Action Conference annual meeting in National Harbor, Md.

WASHINGTON -- Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has begun formally vetting prospective running mates, according to sources who have direct knowledge of vetting process.


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Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie are on the list that Trump previously described as short. Their inclusion was confirmed by the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the situation publicly.

The Republican National Convention is less than three weeks away, and Trump has said he will publicly reveal his pick at the convention.

Gingrich and Christie have received vetting paperwork since Wednesday night, the sources said. Both emerged as prominent Trump allies in recent months, even as Trump faced deep and sustained skepticism from many GOP leaders. Trump's relationship with several other possible running mates was strained during the Republican primaries, leaving him with a small pool of willing and qualified candidates.

Trump acknowledged Thursday that Christie is under consideration.

"I'm certainly looking at him, and I always will, whether it's for that or something else," Trump told Boston-based radio host Howie Carr. He later described Indiana Gov. Mike Pence as "somebody we respect a lot."

Pence told Indiana reporters Thursday that he hadn't spoken with Trump in several weeks, and he referred questions to the Trump campaign, which declined to comment further.

Although formal vetting did not begin until this week, Trump told The Associated Press last month that he'd narrowed his vice presidential list to "a very good list of five or six people."

His vice presidential pick could be crucial to easing the concerns of Republicans who worry about his lack of political experience and about his temperament to be commander in chief. Tapping a political insider also would be a way for Trump to signal a willingness to work with the GOP establishment that he has bashed even after he emerged as the party's presumptive nominee.

Many have already been ruled out for consideration, including Florida Gov. Rick Scott and Trumps rival in the primaries Marco Rubio, a Florida senator who is now seeking re-election.

"I have never sought, will not seek and do not want to be considered for vice president," Rubio wrote on Facebook.

Trump said last month, and has repeated in the weeks since, that he prefers getting someone with political experience to help him guide his agenda through Washington.

"I think that's good for a number of reasons. No. 1, if you win, which hopefully we will, I want help with -- you know, I want a hand with legislation, getting things through. And if you bring a business person -- we don't need another business person," Trump said.

Christie was vetted four years ago by 2012 nominee Mitt Romney's research team.

Gingrich, who ran for president in 2012, was U.S. House speaker from 1995-99.

Abortion rights

Trump weighed in Thursday on abortion rights for the first time since the Supreme Court struck down abortion-clinic restrictions in Texas, breaking his three-day silence on the issue. His silence had drawn the attention of political observers and his socially conservative supporters.

The court declared Monday that burdensome restrictions on abortion clinics in Texas are unconstitutional, a decision that could affect other states that have similar laws. Legal experts consider it the most significant decision on abortion rights in a generation.

Trump did not immediately detail his thoughts on the decision. Speaking about it Thursday, he said the decision would not have come down the way it did if he had been president.

"Now if we had Scalia ... or if Scalia was replaced by me, you wouldn't have had that, OK? It would've been the opposite," Trump told nationally syndicated radio host Mike Gallagher during an interview. He was referring to Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia who died in February.

Justice Anthony Kennedy voted with the court's liberals in the 5-3 decision. Even if Scalia had voted in favor of the restrictions, the decision would have been 5-4 and the law would still have been struck.

Information for this article was contributed by Steve Peoples and Jill Colvin of The Associated Press; and by Jose A. DelReal of The Washington Post.

A Section on 07/01/2016

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