Both Joni Ernst and Bob Corker are backing away from being Trump's VP

Donald Trump's VP shortlist may have just gotten two names shorter. Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) told The Washington Post on Wednesday that he'd taken himself out of the running to be Trump's ticket-mate, saying that "there are people far more suited for being a candidate for vice president, and I think I'm far more suited for other types of things." Corker, who is chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he'd already told Trump he wasn't comfortable with being vice president, a position he called a "highly political job, and that's not who I am."

While Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) wasn't quite so honest with Trump, she dropped a big hint that she didn't think being veep was for her. "I made that very clear to him that I'm focused on Iowa," Ernst said Wednesday. "I feel that I have a lot more to do in the United States Senate. And Iowa is where my heart is."

However, Ernst did name someone that she thought would be a good VP candidate for Trump: Indiana Gov. Mike Pence. "I will admit that I am a Mike Pence fan," Ernst said. "He is so well-rounded, served as governor, and I think he's a great conservative."

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up

Aside from Pence, other names still rumored to be on the list are former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. Trump is reportedly announcing his pick next week, ahead of the Republican National Convention.