Donald Trump, the Republican presumptive presidential nominee, on Tuesday said he has not ruled out New Jersey Governor Chris Christie as his running mate, The Associated Press reports.
Trump added that he has narrowed his list of potential running mates to “five or six people,” all with deep political resumes.
“I have a list of people that I would like,” he told AP, adding he is giving special weight to political experience because he wants a vice president who can help him “with legislation, getting things through” Washington if he wins the White House.
“We don’t need another business person,” said Trump, who touts himself as one of the best in that category.
He also said that choosing a person who’s previously held elected office would help with the process of looking into the person’s background, in part because that person already would have been checked out by voters, the news media and to some extent the government.
“For the most part, they’ve been vetted over the last 20 years,” he told AP.
Trump would not reveal the full list of possible running mates, but said his decision this week to appoint Christie to head his White House transition team did not mean the New Jersey governor was out of consideration.
“No, not at all,” he told AP.
Christie was in the running for the Republican presidential nomination but suspended his campaign after a disappointing loss in New Hampshire.
He later offered an endorsement to Trump, saying there is no one better prepared to lead the country or defeat former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton should she become the Democratic nominee.
Trump’s vice presidential pick could be crucial to easing the concerns of Republicans who worry about their presumptive nominee’s lack of political experience, as well as his temperament to serve as commander in chief, noted AP.
Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and former Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer are among the Republicans who have suggested they would be open to joining Trump on the GOP ticket.
Another name that was brought up was that of Florida Senator Marco Rubio, Trump’s former primary rival, who on Monday emphatically ruled out that possibility.