Even as Ted Cruz announced Carly Fiorina as his vice presidential choice should he win nomination, House Republicans discussed who might be Donald Trump's running mate.
The discussion took place Wednesday morning at "Conversations With Conservatives," the monthly meeting on Capitol Hill of Republican lawmakers in the House GOP Freedom Caucus.
Rep. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., suggested former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice or New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte.
"Trump has succeeded so far on the strength of his personality," Lummis said in response to my question as to who House conservatives would like to see as Trump's running mate. Rather than seek traditional ideological or geographical balance, she said it might be wiser for Trump to seek a different type of personality for his ticket.
"He might consider a more disciplined person, someone with a relationship to Congress, and a woman," she told me, adding that the selection of a woman might help assuage comments Trump has made that may have upset "53 percent of the electorate."
Either Rice — who has long ruled out running for elective office — or Ayotte, who faces a difficult re-election battle this fall, would provide what Lummis called "the national gravitas" she feels Trump needs in a running mate.
Freshman Rep. Gary Palmer, R-Ala., said he was less concerned with who Trump selects as a running mate than his choice in key administration positions.
"Personnel is policy," Palmer told me, "and I would like to know who [Trump] would select as White House chief of staff, director of the Office of Management and Budget, and national security adviser."
Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, emphasized that the race for the Republican nomination is "not over." Whether the nominee is Trump or Cruz, he said, "what will unite party is Hillary Clinton."
Trump, Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Idaho, told me, "hasn't reached out to House conservatives for advice." The Gem State lawmaker said he was bothered that the Republican nominee "has no particular plan for balancing the budget, or anything, other than to say he'll 'make America great again.'"
But, Labrador quickly added, "I will support whomever the Republican nominee is."
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax.
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