There's Buzz Around Two More Potential Trump VP Picks
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Donald Trump's vice presidential short list just keeps getting longer.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former Georgia Rep. Newt Gingrich held the top contender spots a couple of weeks ago, but now it seems Indiana Gov. Mike Pence and retired Lt. Gen. Mike Flynn are leading the pack, according to media reports.
So who are these potential candidates? Here are the latest top contenders to be Trump's running mate:
1. Gov. Mike Pence
Flickr/Gage Skidmore - flic.kr
Pence, 57, will join Trump on the campaign trail on Tuesday in Indiana, but he's not the only one Trump asked to dance. Christie joined Trump at a rally in Virginia on Monday, according to NJ.com. If Pence is selected to be Trump's running mate, he only has until the July 15 deadline to withdraw from the governor's race in Indiana or he will appear on the ballot as a candidate for governor instead of vice president. Theoretically, Trump has to make a decision soon.
Trump met with Pence and his family over the Fourth of July weekend and tweeted that he was "very impressed."
Pence grew up Catholic but became an evangelical born-again Christian in college when he met his wife, according to Indystar. He's also a social conservative who has earned backlash from the LGBT community and pro-choice advocates.
In March, Pence signed a law that aimed to restrict women from getting abortions in the case of a genetic diagnosis like Down Syndrome.
On its website, the National Association for the Repeal of Abortion Laws called the law "one of the most extreme anti-abortion measures in the country."
In response, thousands of women joined the Facebook group Periods for Pence, which encouraged women to protest the law by calling his office and leaving messages about their periods.
Facebook/Periods for Pence - facebook.com
However, U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Walton Pratt temporarily blocked the anti-abortion law in June after the Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky requested the injunction. The law would have taken effect July 1, according to the Chicago Tribune. Planned Parenthood's lawsuit against the state of Indiana will go forward.
Pence also supported stripping funds from Planned Parenthood in 2011 when he was in Congress, according to Indystar.
In March of 2015, Pence signed a religious freedom bill into law that would have allowed businesses to refuse service to gays. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton slammed the legislation.
Miley Cyrus called Pence an asshole for signing the controversial law.
However, after making contradicting statements about gay rights, Pence signed an amended law that had protections for LGBT and transgender people, according to USA Today.
2. Lt. Gen. Mike Flynn
Defense Intelligence Agency/Public Domain - wikipedia.org
Flynn, a 57-year-old Army veteran, is a registered Democrat, but his opposition to President Barack Obama may partly explain his consideration as Trump's running mate, according to The Washington Post. He was director of the Defense Intelligence Agency for two years, and there were reports that he left because of fights with the Obama administration, according to NBC News.
An anonymous source told The Washington Post that Trump is serious about Flynn as a contender.
“Trump-Flynn. I’ve heard him say that, kind of test out the sound of it,” the source said. “I think it’s a brand he finds appealing.”
Unlike Pence, Flynn is an avowed supporter of abortion rights.
“I think women have to be able to choose … sort of, the right of choice,” he said on ABC News' "This Week." “They are the ones that have to make the decision because they’re the ones that are going to decide to bring up that child or not.”
