Donald Trump isn’t about to pick a woman or a minority as his running mate simply to do better among that demographic, according to his top aide.
To do so “would be viewed as pandering, I think,” Paul Manafort told The Huffington Post in a lengthy interview.
“He needs an experienced person to do the part of the job he doesn’t want to do,” he continued.” He seems himself more as the chairman of the board, than even the CEO, let alone the COO.”
“There is a long list of who that person could be,” Manafort added, “and every one of them has major problems.”
In discussions about his search for a running mate, Trump has mentioned a few women, including Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin and former Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer.
But one qualification Trump and his aides have made clear is that his vice presidential pick will have significant political experience. It will be “somebody that can help me with legislation and somebody that can help me get things passed and somebody who’s been friends with senators and congressman so we don’t have to go the executive order route as much as Obama did where he can’t get anything approved,” the businessman has explained.
Campaign manager Corey Lewandowski was even more specific this week, noting that Trump’s running mate will likely be someone with “federal elective experience.”