Donald Trump reportedly asked Condoleezza Rice to be his VP

(Image credit: Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

published 13 July 2016

At the urging of a donor, Donald Trump called Condoleezza Rice over the weekend to see if she was interested in being his running mate, sources told CNN.

Dana Bash and Elise Labott report that Rice, secretary of state and national security adviser during the George W. Bush Administration, told him she has absolutely no desire to be vice president. It's not the first time she's declared her disinterest; her chief of staff told Politico the same thing last month. With Rice out, the top three contenders are Indiana Gov. Mike Pence (R), former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R). On Wednesday, Trump and his children Ivanka, Don Jr., and Eric had breakfast with Pence at the governor's mansion, and later in the day, Gingrich flew to Indiana to meet with Trump. Christie did not go to Indiana, but did speak with Trump over the phone, and they discussed the vice presidency, CNN reports.

Trump's top aide, Paul Manafort, said Wednesday that Trump will announce his VP pick on Friday.

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.