Thread: Trump Family, Staff Divided Between Gingrich, Pence

Trump Family, Staff Divided Between Gingrich, Pence

The Donald is being pulled in two directions, but will make a decision Wednesday night or Thursday morning.

By David Catanese | Senior Politics Writer July 13, 2016, at 1:48 p.m.


Donald Trump's top staffers are reportedly pushing him to choose Indiana Gov. Mike Pence as his running mate. The Associated Press

Donald Trump's family prefers Newt Gingrich to be his running mate, but his top staff are pushing hard for Mike Pence.

That's the deliberation facing the presumptive Republican nominee as he enters the final hours of choosing a vice presidential candidate, according to a Republican operative with familiarity of the internal talks.

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Senior operatives on the campaign, including chairman Paul Manafort, believe Pence, the Republican governor of Indiana, would help unite the party and serve as a reliable and respectable surrogate for Trump. He would also be "someone they can control," says the source.

But Trump's children have grown to admire Gingrich, the former speaker of the House, who has been a reliably potent surrogate for their father and would bring a personality with spice, something their dad craves. Additionally, Trump has a more comfortable rapport with Gingrich, while he's still getting to know Pence, whom he campaigned with in Indiana Tuesday night.

"He remains undecided, torn between the pros and cons of both finalists," says the operative. "The tug of war is almost entirely about control versus value add, which brings some risk. He's been pulled in both directions for days. He's probably tiring of it. Patience is not necessarily his strongest suit."


In essence, Pence would be the safe choice of the political handlers; Gingrich would be the splashier selection and a roll of the dice.

When asked about the chances of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, the operative replied that there's been little recent talk about him internally.

"Not a peep in days," says the source. "Crickets."




Trump and his family made a visit to Pence's home Wednesday morning and the candidate has also been in contact with Gingrich and Christie, adding to the speculation and suspense.



But if anyone has the impulse to go rogue, it's Trump.

It's part of the reason why reporting on his vice presidential deliberations have proven so erratic and inconsistent. He literally changes his mind as the news flow does.

"These things are perishable and the man may tire of the internal debate and decide, 'Screw it, I'm going with a third,'" the operative says.



http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/...gingrich-pence

Should Trump become President, how much of an impact will his children have over what our country does?

Gingrich is totally unsuitable. His record is tainted, he supported NAFTA, he's a smartalec, run his mouth professor type that most Americans will want to puke at. There's no personal appeal, no politica appeal, WHAT ARE YOU THINKING????!!! I can't stand to listen to him or look at him.

Pence is one of these religious right-wing sanctimonious prigs that the general electorate wants to throw tomatoes at. I want to throw tomatoes at him.

SCOTT BROWN FOR VP! Good grief, this is such a no-brainer.

The general electorate will love Scott Brown. He's military, he's state rep and senator, he's US senator, he's smart, he's Boston College law, he's loyal, he's down to earth, he's modest but tough as nails. General election voters will adore him.

You can not run candidates like Newt and Pence that the average person looks at and listens to and just wants to slap 'em. Wake Up, Trump.

I hope it is Scott Brown or Jeff Sessions. None of the others, don't trust them. Put them in some other capacity.

How can they possibly be considering Newt and Pence who supported NAFTA and Pence who supported both NAFTA and CAFTA and supports the TPP??!!!

STOP the insanity. You will not win the general election with VP'ers who supported the very programs and bad trade deals you oppose!! COME ON!!

SCOTT BROWN FOR VP! There is no other choice.

Can Mike Pence be Donald Trump's VP and pro-free trade?

Jim Tankersley, The Washington Post

Nation | Monday, July 11, 2016 at 11:16 am

Before he became governor of Indiana and a candidate to be Donald Trump's vice-presidential nominee, Mike Pence was a congressman, and he voted for every free-trade agreement that came before him. That record, along with at least two votes favoring freer trade with China, puts him squarely at odds with Trump on one of the signature issues of the businessman's presidential campaign.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks June 30 at a town hall-style campaign event at the former Osram Sylvania light bulb factory in Manchester, N.H.

In this May 11, 2016, file photo, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence launches his campaign for re-election during an event in Indianapolis. Pence will meet with presumed Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump over the weekend, a top aide to the governor said Friday, July 1, 2016, after it was confirmed that Pence is under consideration as a vice presidential running-mate.

Pence has risen toward the top of Trump's running-mate list in recent days, according to media accounts and betting markets. On Sunday evening, PredictWise gave him a 43 percent chance of being chosen by Trump, more than double the chance for the next-highest contender, former House speaker Newt Gingrich.

Pence backed trade agreements with Colombia, South Korea, Panama, Peru, Oman, Chile and Singapore during his House tenure from 2001 through 2012. He voted for the Central American Free Trade Agreement, or CAFTA.

He voted to keep the United States in the World Trade Organization and to maintain permanent normal trade relations with China, the country Trump repeatedly criticizes for unfair trade practices and threatens with tariffs to boost U.S. job creation.

Pence also has publicly supported the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement of Pacific Rim nations, an agreement negotiated by the Obama administration which Trump opposes and has likened to rape.

As governor Pence led state trade missions to China and to Japan, another country Trump has threatened with tariffs. He noted that Japan is the state's largest trading partner in a letter to Indiana members of Congress last year, in which he urged them to support the TPP and a what is known as "fast-track" trade negotiation authority for the president.

"Reducing tariffs and other trade barriers so that Indiana businesses can enjoy increased market access and fairly compete on the world stage is something that Congress must do," Pence wrote. "I encourage your support for Trade Promotion Authority, the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership and any other trade-related measures when they are brought before the Congress for consideration."

Trump has made opposition to trade deals the top economic issue of his general-election campaign against presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, who as a senator voted for trade agreements with Chile, Oman and Singapore but opposed CAFTA. She helped negotiate the TPP as secretary of state but has opposed it in the campaign, saying the final version does not meet her standards for trade.

This year, Pence urged an Indiana manufacturer, Carrier Corp., to reconsider a decision to move 1,400 jobs from Indiana to Mexico. The company is continuing with the plans but agreed to repay some state and local tax incentives.

After meeting with the company, Pence said he did not want to give Indiana workers "false hope" that the jobs would stay in their state.

http://www.sunjournal.com/news/0001/...-trade/1957282

Pence is the enemy. He may have an R by his name on a ballot in Indiana, but he is the very type of person whose stupid ideas have cost the United States our manufacturing base, our solvency, and put 94 million Americans out of the work force.

How can you possibly consider such a person to be your running mate and VP of the United States??!!

SCOTT BROWN FOR VP! There is no other choice if you want to win in November and protect and promote your keystone policies to make America great again.

Donald Trump Reportedly Taps Mike Pence As His Vice Presidential Running Mate

Huffington Post - 11 minutes ago

What qualifies Trump's family members to have a say? Just asking .....

What qualifies Trump's family members to have a say? Just asking .....

Somewhat disturbing to me as well....I guess they can do whatever they want.

Early reports are indicating Pence as a pick.