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Carly Fiorina: Ted Cruz floats former CEO as potential running mate Carly Fiorina: Ted Cruz to name former CEO as running mate
(about 2 hours later)
Could Carly Fiorina end up in White House after all? The former Hewlett-Packard CEO, whose own abortive White House bid burned brightest during a feud with Donald Trump, may be unveiled as the vice-presidential running mate to Mr Trump’s main rival, Ted Cruz. Carly Fiorina, the former Hewlett-Packard CEO whose failed White House bid burned brightest during a feud with Donald Trump, is to be unveiled as the running mate to Mr Trump’s main rival, Ted Cruz.
Mr Cruz’s campaign has promised to make a “major announcement” at 4pm Eastern Time on Wednesday. Meanwhile Ms Fiorina was reportedly spotted on a flight to Indiana, where the Texas Senator has been campaigning ahead of next week’s Hoosier State primary. The Texas Senator is expected to announce his surprise vice-presidential pick at 4pm Eastern Time on Wednesday in Indiana, where Ms Fiorina joined him on the campaign trail ahead of next week’s Hoosier State primary.
The businesswoman has become an enthusiastic Cruz surrogate since dropping out of the Republican presidential race in February, following her poor showings in Iowa and New Hampshire. This week she was confirmed as being among a handful of potential vice-presidential picks to have submitted tax returns to the Cruz campaign for vetting. The businesswoman has become an enthusiastic Cruz surrogate since dropping out of the Republican presidential race in February, following her poor showings in Iowa and New Hampshire. Earlier this week, she was confirmed as being among a handful of potential vice-presidential picks to have submitted tax returns to the Cruz campaign for vetting.
On Monday, Mr Cruz’s campaign chairperson told CNN that the Senator was “vetting a number of solid candidates, and certainly Ms Fiorina is absolutely one of them,” adding: “She’s one of the most talented business leaders of modern times.”On Monday, Mr Cruz’s campaign chairperson told CNN that the Senator was “vetting a number of solid candidates, and certainly Ms Fiorina is absolutely one of them,” adding: “She’s one of the most talented business leaders of modern times.”
The announcement would help Mr Cruz to reclaim the news cycle after his crushing loss in Tuesday’s so-called Amtrak primaries in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Connecticut, Delaware and Rhode Island. Mr Trump won a clean sweep of all five states, and Mr Cruz came in third, behind Ohio Governor John Kasich, in all but one of them, Pennsylvania. The announcement could help Mr Cruz to reclaim the news cycle after his crushing loss in Tuesday’s so-called Amtrak primaries in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Connecticut, Delaware and Rhode Island. Mr Trump won a clean sweep of all five states, and Mr Cruz came in third, behind Ohio Governor John Kasich, in all but one of them, Pennsylvania.
Mr Trump, who is steadily advancing on the 1,237 GOP delegates he needs to secure the Republican nomination before the party’s convention in July, said he was unimpressed by the prospect of a Cruz-Fiorina ticket, describing Ms Fiorina as an “insignificant player” in the presidential race. “Not because she's a woman, but Carly did not resonate at all with people,” the property mogul told ABC, saying Ms Fiorina had only had “one good debate”.Mr Trump, who is steadily advancing on the 1,237 GOP delegates he needs to secure the Republican nomination before the party’s convention in July, said he was unimpressed by the prospect of a Cruz-Fiorina ticket, describing Ms Fiorina as an “insignificant player” in the presidential race. “Not because she's a woman, but Carly did not resonate at all with people,” the property mogul told ABC, saying Ms Fiorina had only had “one good debate”.
That debate was in September 2015, shortly after Mr Trump had disparaged Ms Fiorina’s appearance in an interview with Rolling Stone. “Look at that face!” he was reported to have said. “Would anyone vote for that?” Invited to respond to his remarks, Ms Fiorina said: “I think women all over this country heard very clearly what Mr Trump said.”That debate was in September 2015, shortly after Mr Trump had disparaged Ms Fiorina’s appearance in an interview with Rolling Stone. “Look at that face!” he was reported to have said. “Would anyone vote for that?” Invited to respond to his remarks, Ms Fiorina said: “I think women all over this country heard very clearly what Mr Trump said.”
The episode marked the first of many times during his campaign that Mr Trump has been accused of misogyny. Ms Fiorina’s response was also considered a rare example of a rival scoring points against Mr Trump on the debate stage. It proved to be the high point of her short-lived White House bid.The episode marked the first of many times during his campaign that Mr Trump has been accused of misogyny. Ms Fiorina’s response was also considered a rare example of a rival scoring points against Mr Trump on the debate stage. It proved to be the high point of her short-lived White House bid.
Ms Fiorina would add not only a female face to the Cruz ticket, but also a political outsider, in a Republican presidential cycle that has punished traditional politicians. The former CEO ran a failed bid for the US Senate in California in 2010, but has never held elected office. Ms Fiorina adds not only a female face to the Cruz ticket, but also a political outsider, in a Republican presidential cycle that has punished traditional politicians. The former CEO ran a failed bid for the US Senate in California in 2010, but has never held elected office.
Yet her CV could also cause problems for the Cruz campaign in a climate where voters are deeply sceptical of corporate America. During her time as HP’s chief executive, some 30,000 people were laid off by the tech firm, while some jobs were sent overseas to China. When Ms Fiorina herself was forced out in 2005, she received a $21m (£14.4m) severance package.Yet her CV could also cause problems for the Cruz campaign in a climate where voters are deeply sceptical of corporate America. During her time as HP’s chief executive, some 30,000 people were laid off by the tech firm, while some jobs were sent overseas to China. When Ms Fiorina herself was forced out in 2005, she received a $21m (£14.4m) severance package.
Vice-presidential picks are normally made public in the run-up to the convention, when a party has already picked its nominee. But this is no normal presidential cycle, and Mr Cruz would hope to add legitimacy to his claim on the Republican nomination by announcing a running mate at this early juncture. Vice-presidential picks are normally made public in the run-up to the convention, when a party has already picked its nominee. But this is no normal presidential cycle, and Mr Cruz presumably hopes to add legitimacy to his claim on the Republican nomination by announcing a running mate at this early juncture.
His pick could nevertheless prove irrelevant. The Texas Senator is behind Mr Trump in polls in Indiana, and it is already mathematically impossible for him to clinch the nomination on the first ballot. His only hope now is a contested convention, where GOP delegates will also pick a vice presidential nominee in a separate ballot.  His pick could nevertheless prove irrelevant. The Texas Senator is behind Mr Trump in polls in Indiana, and it is already mathematically impossible for him to clinch the nomination on the first ballot. His only hope now is a contested convention, where GOP delegates will also pick the vice-presidential nominee in a separate ballot. 
It is “too early” for Mr Cruz to name a running mate, Mr Trump said, adding: “Frankly, he's wasting his time because he won’t be the nominee.”It is “too early” for Mr Cruz to name a running mate, Mr Trump said, adding: “Frankly, he's wasting his time because he won’t be the nominee.”