Newt Gingrich still doesn't know Trump running mate
Newt Gingrich says he is still in the dark about whether Donald Trump will pick him to join the Republican ticket.
Gingrich said that he had no updates from the Trump campaign as he opened a Facebook Live broadcast on Thursday afternoon. He also said the former House speaker said that Trump's decision had come down to him and Indiana Governor Mike Pence. Trump will announce his choice of a running mate at a New York event on Friday at 11 a.m. ET.
"Like you, I’m looking forward to the next 24 hours," Gingrich said during the question-and-answer session with Facebook users, the bulk of which was centered on Trump's selection process.
Gingrich said he had met with "Trump and his team" for two and a half hours in Indiana "talking about ideas and how the vice presidency might work," but that he still did not know who the billionaire would choose.
While Gingrich said that it was a "great honor" to be considered for the role, he bristled at the requests from Trump's vetting operation.
"Over the years this process has evolved into 113 questions. It's really quite amazing. One of them was, 'Would I list everything I had written?'... . I said 'Wait, this is a deal breaker. If I assigned an intern it would take a year, between articles and news columns, op-eds, books, speeches I've given, to list everything.'" Culvahouse responded by telling him to "apply the rule of reason," Gingrich said.
Gingrich told his Facebook audience that he had a national appeal that would benefit Trump's candidacy, but that the other men still in contention for the job also had strengths.
"Mike Pence would have a huge Midwestern appeal," Gingrich said, adding that he has "governed very successfully in Indiana."
As for New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Gingrich said he was a "terrific prosecutor."
Still, Gingrich said he was waiting for Trump's final word just like everyone else.
"Whether I’m the person he announces or we have Mike Pence being announced I’m gonna do a Facebook Live," he vowed.