Campaign discussions have recently focused on Messrs. Vance and Rubio, with Burgum also being considered, and Mr. Trump asked about other candidates as recently as last week, according to a person familiar with his thinking.
Vance’s absence was particularly notable because some Republicans had speculated that Trump might announce his candidacy at the rally, which is being held not far from the Ohio border. Trump held a rally in Miami earlier this week where Rubio spoke.
Trump has also repeatedly signaled he is in no rush to announce his pick, even as his campaign aims to have a running mate chosen by Monday, the first day of the Republican National Convention.
In an interview on Friday, Trump likened the process of selecting his running mate to “a very sophisticated version of ‘The Apprentice.'”
“I’d love to do that during the tournament,” he added during an interview on “The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show.”
