Former President Donald Trump's campaign has begun requesting information from potential vice presidential candidates, sending vetting papers to a list of potential candidates in recent weeks.
NEW YORK — Former President Donald Trump's campaign has begun requesting information from potential running mates for vice presidential nominations and has sent screening papers to a list of potential contenders in recent weeks, according to two people familiar with the effort.
Among those solicited are North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the outreach.
Also reportedly on the list are Rep. Byron Donald of Florida, Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York and Ben Carson, Trump's 2016 rival and now a cabinet member.
The second person said various levels of documentation had been exchanged with each.
Representatives for the candidates did not immediately respond to requests for comment Wednesday.
Aides caution that Trump's list is fluid and changing, and that decisions are up to the president.
“Anyone who claims to know who President Trump will choose as his vice president or when he will choose him is lying, unless that person is Donald J. Trump,” Trump campaign spokesman Brian Hughes said in a statement.
The news came a week after a Manhattan jury found Trump guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records in his criminal hush-money case. He is due to be sentenced next month.
Trump said he is in no rush to announce his running mate and may wait until the Republican National Convention in July to announce who will work with him on the GOP shortlist.
Appearing on Newsmax on Tuesday night, President Trump named Scott, Burgum, Rubio, Vance and Carson as potential candidates.
The news that screening materials had been sent to potential candidates was first reported by NBC, and the list was reported by ABC.
