Trump narrows VP search to just seven candidates – here's who makes the list

Former US President Donald Trump is moving towards his final VP pick after drawing up a shortlist of seven candidates. The question of who will become Mr Trump's VP for his presidential campaign this year has sparked a frenzy of speculation in recent months.

Now, according to Fox News and NBC, sources close to the Trump campaign claim they have sent paperwork to the seven candidates.

The shortlist includes North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Florida's Marco Rubio, Ohio Sen. JD Vance and South Carolina's Tim Scott. Both Mr Scott and Mr Burgum were previous candidates for the Republican presidential nomination race and rivals to former President Trump. Florida Rep. Byron Donalds, New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, and Mr Trump's former cabinet member Ben Carson are also said to be under consideration.

Vetting paperwork has been sent to all seven running mate candidates, according to the campaign sources.

Each of the candidates could help garner different votes for the former president.

JD Vance represents the Rust Belt that carried Trump to his victory in 2016.

Meanwhile, Ms Stefanik, 39, is a rare New Yorker Republican as well as one of the most influential women in her party.

It is thought that Mr Donalds, an outspoken ally of Mr Trump during his recent court case, as well as Mr Scott could help the former president's outreach to the African American community.

Mr Trump commented on the VP speculation during a phone interview on Tuesday night, where he name-checked Mr Vance, Mr Rubio, Mr Burgum, and Mr Scott. He added: "We've had so many great people out there."

This comes just a week after Mr Trump was found guilty by a jury in Manhattan of 34 counts of falsifying business records in a criminal hush money trial, for which he will be sentenced next month.

It is thought that the former US president could until the upcoming Republican National Convention to unveil the right person, which would be in July - just a few days after he is set to be sentenced in his criminal case.

In 2016, he announced then-Indiana Gov. Mike Pence as his running mate days before that year’s nominating convention in Cleveland.

Trump campaign spokesperson Brian Hughes said: "Anyone claiming to know who or when President Trump will choose his VP is lying, unless the person is named Donald J. Trump."

Mr Trump infamously fell out with former VP Mike Pence following the Capitol insurrection on January 6.

A former frontrunner for the job, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, fell out of favour earlier this year after boasting about killing a pet dog in a memoir.

The former president's conviction last week does not appear to have dented his presidential ambitions, with recent polls showing Mr Trump maintaining his lead over the incumbent Joe Biden.