In a sign of growing acceptance that Donald Trump is their likely presidential nominee, several Republicans said they would join him on the ticket, most prominently former House speaker Newt Gingrich and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie,
The New York Times reports.
Other Republicans who have said they would consider being Trump's running mate include Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson and Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin.
"If a potential president says I need you, it would be very hard for a patriotic citizen to say no," Gingrich said. "People can criticize a nominee, but ultimately there are very few examples of people turning down the vice presidency."
However, many prominent Republicans, including Gov. Nikki Haley of South Carolina and Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona, are apparently doing exactly that.
Making it so clear that they do not want to be considered as Trump's vice presidential choice, and in such a public manner, is an unusual slap in the face for a front-runner. Usually a politician who is not interested in the position makes that known to the presidential candidate in a more discreet way.
But Trumps's unpopularity among many segments of the nation's population have politicians concerned that their prospects in the future could be harmed if they ran with Trump.
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