WASHINGTON, D.C., May 12, 2016 (LifeSiteNews) – Now that Donald Trump is the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, his next major announcement will be his choice of running mate. Although the billionaire has said he will not reveal the name until the Republican National Convention in July, he has confirmed he is vetting possible choices now – and he hinted that one pro-life champion is on his short list.
The candidate confirmed to Greta Van Susteren last night that he was considering a female running mate, when the Fox News anchor asked if Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin is “one of the women.”
His answer and tone of voice implied that Gov. Fallin was under consideration, something those close to the campaign have hinted at for some time. “I agree with you, the governor of Oklahoma – fabulous person,” he said.
Over the last few weeks, Donald Trump has said he has a list of “five to seven” potential candidates, but betrayed few specifics.
Dr. Ben Carson, who is part of the committee that is vetting VP candidates, says Mr. Trump “wants to make sure that we have somebody who's really compatible” with him, “who understands and upholds the Constitution, and has some of the traditional values that made America into a great place.”
A nod that Gov. Fallin is in the running may lessen social conservatives' anxiety with Mr. Trump, who strikes a decidedly moderate tone on abortion. He has said that he would like to add rape and incest exceptions to the pro-life plank of the Republican Party platform, and has repeatedly praised Planned Parenthood, while simultaneously pledging to defund them because of their abortion work.
Gov. Fallin's sterling pro-life record
Under Gov. Fallin's leadership, Oklahoma emerged as the most pro-life state in the nation last year, according to Americans United for Life's annual “Life List.” Gov. Fallin signed a law making Oklahoma the second state to ban dismemberment abortion and extending the waiting period before abortion to 72-hours.
She has also signed a law prohibiting abortions for babies capable of feeling pain – a bill Mr. Trump says he would sign as president – as well as a measure allowing mothers to sue abortionists if they failed to perform an ultrasound or let the mother hear the child's heartbeat in utero.
Another piece of her pro-life legacy required abortionists to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital. A similar public safety measure in neighboring Texas, signed by then-Gov. Rick Perry, closed the vast majority of the state's abortion facilities.
Late last year, she moved to eliminate Planned Parenthood from the state's Medicaid program due to the abortion provider's “high rate of billing errors.”
Gov. Fallin has also been an outspoken supporter of natural marriage.
The two-term Oklahoma governor has been floated as a potential vice presidential pick by Trump supporters for some time. On April 24, South Carolina Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer told CNN that, rather than choose a running mate for purely strategic reasons, his candidate is “going to say, 'Who can help me get the job done?' and I think he needs some balance, and I like Mary Fallin for that reason.” That evening, Donald Trump tweeted:
.@AndreBauer Great job and advice on @CNN @jaketapper Thank you!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 24, 2016
Gov. Fallin said at the time, “It's a great honor to even be mentioned as a possible consideration for vice president.”
Naming a female may help Trump deflect inevitable charges of misogyny and cut into Hillary Clinton's appeal as the first female presidential candidate. Few could question Gov. Fallin's experience. She served in the U.S. House of Representative for four years, then 12 years as lieutenant governor before being elected governor in 2010 and re-elected four years later.
Gov. Fallin would be compatible with Trump on his signature issue of immigration enforcement. She earned an A ranking from NumbersUSA for continuing to speak out against President Obama's proposed amnesty plans as governor.
Pro-life leaders watching Trump's VP pick
Evangelical leaders say they are searching for clues about Donald Trump's commitment to life and marriage in the appointments he makes, most especially the person he taps to be one heartbeat away from the presidency. Bob Vander Plaats, a pivotal evangelical leader in Iowa, said he asks himself, “Who’s [Trump] going to surround himself with? The first indication is going to be vice presidential choice.”
Family Research Council President Tony Perkins – who describes himself as “agnostic on Donald Trump” – said the only way Trump can deal with attempts to “suppress evangelical support and turnout” in November is by demonstrating his pro-life credentials in selecting a “running mate, how he vets judicial nominees and what does he do with the party platform.”
Mr. Perkins was unable to respond to LifeSiteNews' inquiry about Gov. Fallin's potential vice presidential selection, citing scheduling concerns.
Brewer yes, Christie apparently not “in there”
In his Fox News interview, Donald Trump also said that former Arizona governor Jan Brewer, who dropped Fallin's name in a previous interview, was also “fantastic,” adding that he won the Arizona primary in a landslide. Gov. Brewer signed the nation's first law protecting children capable of feeling pain from being aborted, a benchmark legally set at 20 weeks, among other pro-life legislation.
Mr. Trump's seeming agreement that Fallin and perhaps Brewer were under active consideration contrasted with the way he answered whether New Jersey Governor Chris Christie was “in there” as a possible running mate.
“I don't want to say 'in there,'” Mr. Trump replied, “but he’s helping me and he was an early endorsement and a very enthusiastic one,” adding the governor is “a friend” and a “talented guy.”
Evangelical Christians have little enthusiasm for Christie, who attacked two of his fellow presidential hopefuls earlier this year for allegedly being too pro-life.
Gov. Christie seemed to dismiss speculation, telling reporters on Wednesday that, while being considered is “really an honor,” he “was on the shortlist last time, too – so it doesn't mean a heck of a lot.”