Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich will reportedly join Donald Trump at a rally Wednesday in Ohio in what could be an audition to be the billionaire’s running mate.
Several reporters said in tweets Tuesday afternoon that Gingrich will be a special guest at the presumptive Republican presidential nominee’s rally Wednesday evening in Cincinnati.
Gingrich has been considered a top contender to be Trump's selection for vice president, although the two have not campaigned together in recent weeks.
The conservative National Review reported that the appearance is a "trial balloon" to gauge how well voters will receive the pair.
Gingrich has made no secret that he’s interested in the No. 2 slot. He most recently backed away from his decades-long support of free trade, a pivot seen as an attempt to bridge his biggest policy gap with Trump. But he also angered the billionaire when he criticized Trump's past comments about the Mexican heritage of the federal judge overseeing the Trump University case.
With the Republican convention less than two weeks away, Trump has used Twitter to fuel media coverage of his vice presidential search.
He met over the July Fourth holiday weekend with Iowa U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst and Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, two others considered to be contenders as Trump's running mate. Trump also tweeted on Tuesday afternoon that he would be traveling to North Carolina with Tennessee U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, who has been seen as a possible pick who could help bring some foreign policy gravitas to the campaign. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is also seen as a top contender for vice president.
Quoting an unnamed Trump adviser, CNN reported Tuesday that Trump plans to announce his running mate next week. In the meantime, the billionaire will visit Capitol Hill on Thursday to meet with congressional Republicans.
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