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Donald Trump's vice presidential search turned into a head-spinning melodrama Wednesday as candidates vying for the spot hopped on planes and phones to perform frenzied, last-minute try-outs... The meetings held in Indiana were done so to allow Trump more time with Pence, a Trump spokesperson said. But the plan to fly GIngrich and Sessions to Indiana appeared to be more of a last-minute scramble, since sources told CNN Tuesday night that he was spending the night because Trump's plan had mechanical issues... One of the biggest questions is whether he will opt for someone with a reputation as a partisan...

Newt Gingrich, a finalist on Donald Trump's vice presidential shortlist, flew to Indianapolis to meet with Trump on a private jet provided by Fox News host Sean Hannity, two sources with knowledge of the situation told CNN. The Fox News host flew the former House speaker to Indianapolis early Wednesday morning to meet with the presumptive Republican nominee as he holds late-stage meetings with his VP finalists, the sources said... Hannity, who has publicly backed Trump, said Tuesday night that he was backing Gingrich for VP. "I wouldn't be happy with anyone but Newt," he said on his Fox News...

Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich -- two other top candidates for the veep position -- were also spotted heading to Indianapolis Wednesday. According to CNN, Gingrich is meeting with Trump Wednesday at the ex-speaker's request. And Sessions, the first senator to endorse Trump, told CNN of a possible Trump gathering: "We'll have a visit, I think." According to a New York Times report, the sudden flurry of activity from VP contenders to Indiana could be due to mechanical problems from Trump's plane, which prevented the candidate from flying back to his home base in New...

Donald Trump will showcase his vice presidential pick at a public event on Friday, multiple sources tell NBC News. Trump's possible picks are thought to be narrowed to three candidates: Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. While the joint appearance is expected on Friday, it's not clear whether or not the identity of the pick could be released or could leak earlier in the week. Trump is scheduled to attend a fundraiser and rally in Indiana Tuesday night with Pence; he campaigned with Christie on Monday and with Newt Gingrich last...

As anticipation builds for Donald Trump to name his vice presidential pick, two hopefuls -- Indiana Gov. Mike Pence and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich -- appear to be the front-runners, according to a person familiar with the deliberations... "It feels like Pence. But (Trump) likely wants to see the reaction tonight," a separate source familiar with the selection process told CNN.. Fox News said Tuesday it is suspending Gingrich's contract since the former speaker is also on Trump's vice presidential short list...

As presumptive presidential nominees Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump move closer to selecting their vice presidential candidates, a new Morning Consult poll shows voters are largely unmoved by the supposed contenders. The national survey of more than 2,001 registered voters taken over the weekend shows just two potential picks generating at least some enthusiasm among Democrats and Republicans — former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). In a head-to-head matchup, Clinton maintained her single point lead over Trump, 42 percent to 41 percent, with 18 percent of voters still undecided. Trump holds an advantage among independents with...

Even if Donald Trump does not pick Newt Gingrich as his running mate, the former U.S. House Speaker may still have a job in the billionaire's administration. Trump is considering picking Gingrich for a top national security post should he be elected president, according to two people familiar with the the candidate's thinking. A longtime backer of Trump's campaign, Gingrich was added to the short list of vice presidential candidates in May. While Trump could still ask Gingrich to join the ticket, his focus has narrowed in recent days to Indiana Governor Mike Pence and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie,...

Newt Gingrich, who is being vetted to be Donald Trump’s running mate and appeared with the candidate in Cincinnati on Wednesday, left the campaign trail this weekend for an unusual reason. The former Speaker of the House had to fly to Paris to appear at a gala celebration for the Mojahedin-e Khalq, or People’s Mujahedin, an Iranian exile group that wants Washington’s backing for regime change in Iran. In his remarks, Gingrich heaped praise on the MEK’s efforts, and congratulated them on the presence of another dignitary, Prince Turki al-Faisal, a senior member of the Saudi royal family and...

Never let it be said that Newt Gingrich is predictable. As the political world waits to see if the former Georgia congressman and U.S. House speaker gets tapped to be Donald Trump’s running mate, Gingrich teamed up with his former Crossfire partner Van Jones to discuss this week’s shootings in Dallas, Baton Rouge and Minnesota. Speaking on Facebook Live, Gingrich was his typically direct self. But, in this age of polarized politics, whether it be of the electoral or racial variety, Gingrich’s comments were also remarkable. Here is the key quote: “It took me a long time, and a number...

TRENTON — It is highly unlikely that Gov. Chris Christie will be Donald Trump's running mate, according to two sources who are advising the Trump campaign and who requested to remain anonymous. Instead, the sources said that former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich is "the likely pick" to be the tycoon's choice for vice president. The sources, who have been privy to some of the selection process, have insisted on anonymity because they are not authorized to speak for the campaign. "The people who've been pushing the Christie narrative are Christie people," said one of the sources, who has heard...

When Republican naysayers were mocking Donald Trump's improbable White House campaign before the primaries started, Newt Gingrich was reading "Trump: The Art of the Deal." It was a pivotal part of Gingrich's introduction to Trump -- and the beginning of an almost scholarly undertaking to understand the making of the man who would go on to seize his party's nomination for president. Months later, as the GOP prepares to coronate Trump at its convention, the former House Speaker has emerged one of Trump's most high-profile supporters and even secured himself a top spot on the billionaire's vice presidential shortlist. Gingrich...

After months of speculation, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has just confirmed he is being vetted to be Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s vice president... Hannity led with a brief discussion of a Drudge Report poll indicating the American people most wanted Gingrich to be selected as the vice president... Hannity then directed a more pointed question at the former House speaker: “Are you being vetted?” “I think they’ve been very clear all along that I’m one of the four or five people that they’re vetting,” Gingrich said. “When do you think that decision will be made? My guess is...

Donald Trump should make former House Speaker Newt Gingrich his running mate, according a survey of Drudge Report readers on the news aggregator’s website. There are six options on Drudge’s “Who Should Be Trump’s VP” poll, including New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker, Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst, Gingrich, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence and Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions. As of Tuesday afternoon, more than 225,000 votes had been counted and Gingrich was in the lead with about 40 percent... Trump is a known reader of the Drudge Report and regularly mentions the site’s polls, boasting of winning them...

Word on the street is that former Georgia congressman and House Speaker Newt Gingrich will be joining presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump at an Ohio rally tomorrow, making an appearance that could very well serve as an audition to be the billionaire’s running mate. Several reporters tweeted the news on Tuesday afternoon that Gingrich will be a special guest at Trump’s Cincinnati rally on Wednesday evening. We’ve known for a while that Gingrich is a top contender for Trump’s VP, but the two have not appeared together since that news broke. Tim Alberta over at the conservative National Review reports...

Republican Donald Trump is using part of this week to try out some of his potential vice presidential running mates as he seeks to make his choice in time for the Republican National Convention July 18-21. Republicans close to the campaign say Trump and his team are considering announcing his running mate pick next week ahead of the convention to try to get maximum media buzz from the move... Trump met privately on Tuesday with one possible vice presidential candidate, U.S. Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee, at Trump Tower in New York. The two were to travel together to a...

As Donald Trump widened his pool of potential running mates this weekend, two candidates -- Mike Pence and Newt Gingrich - have seen their stock rise inside Trump Tower with less than two weeks until the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. "Pence and Gingrich are the two that most fulfill Trump's acknowledgement that he wants to find a governing partner, someone who can pass legislation," an individual familiar with conversations about the vice presidential search told NBC News. While discussion has intensified over the merits of the two potential picks, there is still vigorous debate within the campaign over other...

The rollout of Donald Trump's running mate could come as early as the end of this week, with less than two weeks before the GOP convention in Cleveland... Gov. Chris Christie (R-N.J.): Christie was one of Trump's first major endorsements, backing Trump at a surprise event in Dallas before the Texas primary... Former Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.): Gingrich has been a vocal Trump supporter, and while he has criticized Trump at times for a lack of discipline, he has also aligned himself with Trump on policy... Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.): Sessions was Trump's first Senate endorsement, helping Trump win a...

Former Speaker Newt Gingrich is the top contender in a new poll to be presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump's running mate. On Tuesday morning, Gingrich had 39.3 percent support in a Drudge Report poll that asks users who Trump should pick to run on his ticket. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) was in second place with 31.3 percent of the vote. Other contenders include Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) with 15.2 percent and Indiana Gov. Mike Pence with 7.4 percent. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie takes 5.4 percent and Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) garners 1.5 percent of the vote. The Drudge...

DENVER — Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich won Sunday’s Republican vice presidential straw poll of attendees at the Western Conservative Summit. Mr. Gingrich, who took 194 votes, for 20 percent of the 985 votes cast, was followed by Sen. Tom Cotton, Arkansas Republican, who spoke Saturday at the three-day conference and took 148 votes, or 15 percent. Rounding out the top five were three former Republican presidential candidates: ex-Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, and Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas....

Former Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) said in an interview broadcast Sunday that two of the country’s most prominent newspapers are in an “all-out war” against Donald Trump. During a radio interview with John Catsimatidis, Gingrich blasted the news outlets, saying they are lying about the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. “Both The New York Times and The Washington Post have been in an all-out war to try to redefine Donald Trump,” he said. Gingrich pointed to a Times article that portrayed Trump as often being inappropriate with women. The report relied on testimony from dozens of women who have interacted with...