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Mike Pence Takes Turn Auditioning for Role as Donald Trump’s Running Mate Mike Pence Takes Turn Auditioning for Role as Donald Trump’s Running Mate
(about 17 hours later)
Gov. Mike Pence of Indiana will be the latest contestant to apprentice himself to Donald J. Trump when he takes the stage with him on Tuesday in Westfield, Ind., in an audition of sorts for the No. 2 slot on the Republican ticket. WESTFIELD, Ind. — Gov. Mike Pence of Indiana came to his vice-presidential audition here on Tuesday night as prepared as a mild-mannered, socially conservative governor could be.
Mr. Pence, a former talk-radio host and congressman, has emerged as one of the leading contenders to become Mr. Trump’s running mate. And his appearance with Mr. Trump on the outskirts of Indianapolis (and the subsequent reviews of his 2016 debut) will most likely play a role as the Trump campaign races to pick a vice president before the Republican National Convention kicks off on Monday in Cleveland. He practically shouted his remarks (energy!); he stood ramrod straight in the politician’s uniform of a charcoal suit and blue tie (presidential!); and he went after Hillary Clinton (attack dog!).
After Newt Gingrich, the former speaker of the House, ignited a crowd of Trump supporters in Cincinnati last week, Mr. Trump seemed to warm to him — at least publicly — telling the crowd, “I’m not saying it’s Newt, but if it’s Newt, nobody is going to be beating him in those debates.” He even took to Twitter, to fire off some of his best zingers: “Hillary Clinton must NEVER become the President of the United States of America!” he wrote.
Mr. Pence offers the governing and Washington savvy Mr. Trump says he wants in a running mate, and is popular with religious conservatives, which could help reassure Republicans who remain skeptical of Mr. Trump’s positions on same-sex marriage and abortion. Left unclear was the ultimate verdict on Mr. Pence from the man who stood just offstage — Donald J. Trump, who arrived here in part to determine if he and Mr. Pence have the rapport to lift a possible Trump-Pence ticket to victory over Mrs. Clinton in November.
Working against Mr. Pence, however, is the issue of loyalty; he initially supported Senator Ted Cruz of Texas over Mr. Trump in the Republican primaries but failed to deliver his home state. And while a potentially “safe” pick, he can come across as stiff on the stump, anathema to the freewheeling, chaotic — yet almost always exciting — ethos of Mr. Trump. When Mr. Trump took the stage, introduced to applause by Mr. Pence, the jury was still out.
Nonetheless, Mr. Pence has expressed interest in the slot, recently telling associates that he would be likely to accept the role if offered. Mr. Trump seemed pleased if impassive toward Mr. Pence, shaking his hand and pointing at him as if to say, “How about this guy?” The two men then faced the crowd as cameras clicked, offering a grinning tableau of a possible Republican ticket. Mr. Trump is expected to announce his selection by the end of the week.
One possible factor influencing his thinking: Mr. Pence is in the middle of a tight re-election fight for governor, and leaving the race to help Mr. Trump would eliminate the prospect of a potentially embarrassing defeat. “How’s your governor doing, by the way?” Mr. Trump asked shortly after he began speaking as the crowd cheered. “Good? I think so, I think so.”
Mr. Pence’s audition here, on the outskirts of Indianapolis, lasted five and a half minutes and added him to the list of Republicans who have campaigned with Mr. Trump in recent days — part of a vice-presidential selection process that at times seems to resemble Mr. Trump’s reality television show, “The Apprentice.”
The chemistry between them may be more important for Mr. Pence than for most on the vice-presidential shortlist. Unlike two other contenders — Newt Gingrich and Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey — Mr. Pence has no political alliance with Mr. Trump. They are not social acquaintances, and Mr. Pence endorsed another candidate, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, in the Republican primaries.
Yet Mr. Pence has emerged in recent days as a strong if not overwhelming consensus choice among Mr. Trump’s advisers, as well as Republicans in Washington working with the Trump campaign, according to people familiar with the campaign’s deliberations. There is broad agreement among Republicans close to Mr. Trump that Mr. Pence is the lowest-risk option still under consideration — a conventional selection whose greatest weakness might be the blandness of his political profile.
And Mr. Pence has reciprocated the Trump campaign’s interest, advising his political allies that he would be very likely to accept an invitation to join the 2016 ticket.
With Trump advisers having all but concluded that there is nothing disqualifying in Mr. Pence’s record, the most important remaining hurdle for Mr. Pence may have been the event here.
Near the end of his speech, Mr. Trump offered some teasing clues into his thinking when he called Mr. Pence a “good man” and mused about his most likely honorific.
“I don’t know whether he’s going be your governor or your vice president — who the hell knows,” Mr. Trump said. “But you’re going to call him, and you’re either going to say, ‘Governor or Vice President, sir, please, please speak to Mr. Trump — we’re winning too much.’”
Mr. Trump has spoken favorably of Mr. Pence in recent days.
Last weekend, during a fund-raising event in the Hamptons, Mr. Trump praised Mr. Pence as a successful governor who is known and respected in Washington. He had more equivocal words for some other potential running mates: Mr. Gingrich, he said, is a fearless attack dog but has “issues,” according to people present for Mr. Trump’s remarks.
But he also stressed repeatedly that personal compatibility was essential for any running mate. And though Mr. Trump spoke warmly of Mr. Pence, he has not indicated a clear preference for him.
A former congressman and talk-radio host, Mr. Pence has been a favorite of social and religious conservatives, with a record of fierce advocacy against abortion and same-sex marriage.
Mr. Trump said Tuesday that he would settle on a running mate in the next three or four days, and associates say he will be the sole decision maker in the screening process.
Should he come away from Indiana feeling underwhelmed by Mr. Pence, he could opt for a finalist with whom he has a deeper friendship, most likely Mr. Gingrich but perhaps also Mr. Christie or Michael Flynn, a retired lieutenant general advising Mr. Trump.
In a sign that Mr. Pence, 57, and Mr. Gingrich, 73, are under serious consideration, both men have taken steps to free themselves of other political obligations ahead of Mr. Trump’s decision.
Fox News announced Tuesday that it was suspending Mr. Gingrich’s role as a contributor because of the fierce speculation about his potential vice-presidential candidacy. And Mr. Pence has advised national Republicans that he may abandon his re-election campaign in Indiana to run for vice president, prompting the Republican Governors Association to seek out backup candidates.