AP Interview: Trump down to 5 or 6 choices for VP
NEW YORK (AP) — Shifting swiftly to the general election, Donald Trump says he's narrowed his list of potential running mates to "five or six" people and doesn't want to accept taxpayer money to finance a fall campaign against likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.
In a break from recent major party nominees, Trump does not plan to invest heavily in a data-driven effort to court voters in the fall campaign.
Trump weighed in on the issue again Wednesday, saying on Twitter: "In interview I told @AP that my taxes are under routine audit and I would release my tax returns when audit is complete, not after election!"
A first-time political candidate, the celebrity businessman said there's no need for another business person on the Republican ticket and he wants a running mate who can help him pass legislation as president.
In the interview, Trump outlined a general election campaign that banks heavily on his personal appeal and trademark rallies while spurning the kind of sophisticated data operation that was a centerpiece of Barack Obama's winning White House runs.
Trump stunned the political world at every turn during the Republican primary season, prioritizing large rallies over intimate voter interactions in early voting states and operating with a slim campaign operation.
Even as he brings in new staff for the general election campaign, he says his emphasis will continue to be on raucous rallies to put him in front of thousands of voters and generate free media coverage.
The businessman said he'll spend "limited" money on data operations to identify and track potential voters and to model various turnout scenarios that could give him the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the presidency.