Pence, Trump to meet amid VP short list rumors

INDIANAPOLIS (AP/WISH) – Indiana Gov. Mike Pence will meet with Donald Trump over the weekend amid speculation that he could join the Republican’s presidential ticket.

A spokesman for the Pence’s re-election campaign says Friday that Pence will “spend a little time” with Trump this weekend.

Spokesman Marc Lotter says the meeting is consistent with other meetings Trump is having with GOP party leaders in the run-up to the GOP’s summer convention.

When asked about Pence as a potential running mate this week, Trump described him as “somebody we respect a lot.”

Pence is well regarded among conservatives and has strong backing among many evangelical leaders in the Republican Party. He faces a difficult re-election battle in Indiana, due in part to his support for socially conservative policies.

On “Indiana Week in Review,” Republican Mike McDaniel said it’s hard to know if this is real.

“Donald Trump’s never held a governmental office, ever,” he said. “The fact that he could be helpful to have a vice president who knows his way around Washington, DC, knows his way around Congress, so forth and so on, which why I think Mike Pence is probably on that list.”

“Mike Pence just a few weeks ago said he didn’t want to be President,” said Democrat Joel Miller. “And this week, probably the most important retail politics weekend of the year, he’s rushing off to meet with Donld Trump to beg him to be Vice President.”