Trump says his VP pick ‘probably’ in the room during Congress GOP meetings

Former President Trump said his vice president pick was “probably” in the room with him while meeting with House and Senate Republicans on Capitol Hill on Thursday, adding intrigue to the long-anticipated decision.

Trump told Fox News’s Aishah Hasnie that he’s still not sure who his vice-presidential candidate will be.

“I have sort of a pretty good idea,” he said. “Look, we have some pretty talented people. I have a pretty good idea.”

Trump’s Capitol Hill meetings mark the first time he has been back near the Capitol since the Jan. 6 riots, and the first time he has spoken with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) in years. The pair have had a fraught relationship, exacerbated by Trump’s denial of the 2020 election results.

The meetings come as Republicans in both chambers begin to plot an ambitious agenda if he is reelected and they control the House and Senate.

McConnell told reporters after the meeting that it was “positive.”

“He and I got a chance to talk. We shook hands a few times. He got a lot of standing ovations,” he said. “It was an entirely positive meeting … I can’t think of anything to tell you out of it that was negative.”

Rep. Mark Amodei (R-Nev.) said the feeling in the House meeting was less of a policy discussion and more of encouraging members to “vote with the team,” adding that there were multiple standing ovations for the former president.

The vice-presidential shortlist includes Reps. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) and Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), as well as Sens. JD Vance (R-Ohio), Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.).

Trump said earlier this week that he will reveal his pick at the RNC convention in Milwaukee next month.