Trump polled a fundraising audience about who he should pick for vice president

(Image credit: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

last updated 11 July 2016

As speculation runs rampant about whom Donald Trump might choose for a running mate, it appears that Trump himself might be wondering the same thing. During a weekend fundraiser at the Hamptons home of billionaire Wilbur L. Ross, Trump apparently polled attendees on who they thought he should pick as a vice president, The New York Times reports:

Mr. Trump stressed that he did not consider himself "anti-trade" or "an isolationist," according to four people in attendance. He polled the 60 or so attendees about who he should choose as vice president, and assessed some of the suggestions.Newt Gingrich, the former House speaker, had "issues," Mr. Trump said, but had also impressed him with his recent attacks on Mrs. Clinton. When an attendee suggested Condoleezza Rice, Mr. Trump said they had irreconcilable differences over the Iraq war. In one discussion, he mused that Stanley A. McChrystal, the former commander of forces in Afghanistan, might make a good running mate. [The New York Times]

Although it isn't usually his style, Trump might have a soft spot for such a "wisdom of the crowds" method for picking a VP — after all, it's how he became the Republican candidate.

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.