Trump tweets fuel VP speculation, cites Joni Ernst, Mike Pence, Tom Cotton

U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., has removed himself from consideration as a possible vice presidential candidate for presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump.

Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions, who was the first US senator to endorse Trump and who has often been floated as a potential running mate for the billionaire, could be a fifth candidate but his name wasn’t listed among those who had received the vetting paperwork, the source said.

Corker, 63, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, has been a rare senator willing to praise Trump on occasion, though he has also criticized the candidate’s proposed ban on Muslim immigration. And on Tuesday, Corker rallied with Trump at a campaign stop in North Carolina.

Besides Ernst, Trump has his eye on Governor Mike Pence and Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton.

George Will, in resigning from the Republican party over the Trump nomination, was asked to respond to a Trump tweet denigrating Will. “Trump enjoys a significant advantage over me, because any though he has can be expressed in less than 140 characters”, said the columnist.

Trump has met with several other GOP officials in recent days.

Pressed on whether they discussed being Trump’s running mate, Ernst deflected, saying they discussed Iowa’s importance in the upcoming election.

Grassley says Ernst’s military and legislative experience, and her expertise as someone from a rural, agricultural state would be assets to the NY real estate mogul. He says, “She has done a great job as senator of Iowa!”

“It was a good experience, but I just knew in my heart that the type of service that I’m cut out to provide is just different than being a vice presidential candidate” Corker said. Pressed on why his support seemed less than full-throated, the hawkish Arkansas freshman jokingly offered that “maybe I just don’t demonstrate enthusiasm much in life, especially in such risky times as these”.

Being Trump’s running mate was a poor fit from the start.

Trump spent time with Pence and his family – the governor is married with three adult children – over the Independence Day weekend.

It’s unclear if Sessions has had a similar meeting with Trump, but the Alabama junior senator’s ties to Trump are strong.

“I will probably participate more as an advocate”, she said.

The cable news channel said Trump was thought to be considering at least nine potential running mates, many of them Republican lawmakers in Congress.