With Donald Trump’s reported vice presidential prospects all white men, RNC chair Reince Priebus wants people to focus on another type of diversity: the diversity of experience.
In an interview Wednesday, CNN’s Wolf Blitzer questioned Priebus about previous comments he made hoping Trump’s veep hopefuls would be “diverse.” When Blitzer asked him if he was disappointed that no people of color or women made the cut, Priebus said that is not what diversity means to Trump.
“Well, I know that all of those things are on the table and I think it also comes down to who he thinks is most compatible, and who would be best for our country,” Priebus said. “There is also diversity of experience, and sometimes something that would be beneficial that I think he is also looking at. He has been pretty clear that having experience in matters in both governing in Washington and your state as an executive, he talked about foreign policy experience as another issue to be thought about and discussed. So diversity from Donald Trump as an outsider, a successful businessman, is these choices that he is looking at.”
Blitzer followed up to see if this was the type of diversity Priebus had in mind when he made his comments and Priebus doubled down on the comments.
“Look, for each presidential candidate, the diversity that you seek in the spot that you’re, you know, the vice presidential spot can be a lot of things,” he said. “It can be all of the above, experience, gender, race, that is an important ingredient.”
Trump’s veep finalists reportedly include New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R), former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and Indiana Gov. Mike Pence (R). Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), one of the only women discussed, took herself out of the running earlier this month.
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