Donald Trump has likened the process of selecting a running
mate to the reality show The Apprentice,
and his campaign has tried to build TV worthy suspense
around potential names.
As time runs out to make an announcement,
there are several apparent finalists.
One of them is 39 year old Ohio Senator JD
Vance.
The former venture capitalist and best selling author had previously
identified himself as a Never Trumper,
but is now one of the former president's fiercest defenders,
especially amid Trump's legal proceedings.
We cannot have a country where you get to prosecute
your political opponents instead of persuading voters.
The two men share similar views on trade and are
both immigration hardliners.
Another possible choice is Marco Rubio.
The Florida senator had run against Trump in the 2016
primaries and publicly said he didn't want to be considered
for the Trump ticket back then.
However, they seem to have put aside their differences,
Trump touting the 53 year olds popularity.
The son of working class Cuban immigrants,
Rubio could help Trump gain a larger share of the
Latino vote.
Then there's North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum.
He'd run in the primaries,
but after his campaign fell short,
he became the first Republican contender to drop out and
endorse Trump.
Trump has praised bergamot business Acumen,
who in 2001 sold his software startup to Microsoft for
more than a billion dollars.
Beyond what's considered the leading trio,
there are some other names in the mix.
They include Tim Scott, a senator from South Carolina who
ran for president before dropping out last year,
Elise Stefanik, A5 term New York congresswoman who said she'd
be honored to serve in a Trump administration,
and Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton,
a staunch conservative and foreign policy hawk.
Either way, Trump is not known for being predictable,
and analysts are not ruling out a surprise.