Trump says he WON’T pick his VP from the list of Republican candidates running against him – and says they all want to be ‘secretary of something’

Donald Trump on Wednesday mocked his rivals for the Republican presidential nomination, saying none of them were worthy of being his running mate.

Trump, who skipped the Republican Party’s second presidential primary debate to speak to union workers in Michigan, made a brief reference to the “candidates” competing with him for the top spot on the Republican ticket.

Most of his comments were aimed at President Joe Biden, but he also referred to the “candidates” preparing to enter the debate halfway across the country in California.

“You know we’re competing with the applicants; they are all candidates for a job,” he said. ‘They want to be everything, secretary of something, say VP. Don’t know. Anyone see a VP in the group? I do not think so.’

Trump leads the Republican presidential candidate by double digits in the polls. The seven candidates on the GOP debate stage collectively score 36% in the RealClearPolitics polling average. If they were all one candidate, they would still lose to Trump by 20 percent.

There were seven Republican presidential candidates on the debate stage in California on Wednesday night: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Vivek Ramaswamy, former Vice President Mike Pence, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, former Governor of New Jersey. Chris Christie and Governor Doug Burgum of North Dakota.

Trump has yet to win the nomination.

He faces federal trials in Washington DC and Florida, along with state trials in New York and Georgia, which could take up much of his time early next year when the Republican primaries take place.

He hasn’t said who he wants on the ticket with him — should he win — but he has teased names like former Arizona Senate candidate Kari Lake and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.

Many of Trump’s comments on Wednesday night were aimed at President Joe Biden. He called him a “miserable old vulture” and a “rotten politician” trying to “rape and pillage” American jobs in a speech to auto workers attacking electric vehicles Wednesday night.

“For decades, you’ve watched rotten and corrupt politicians like Biden treat American jobs as disposable and American workers as expendable. They sat back as we got rich taking bribes so other countries could rape and plunder our jobs and wealth,” he told his supporters in Detroit.

His focus on the president signals that Trump’s campaign is moving beyond the primary phase and focusing on the general election, which is increasingly looking like a repeat contest between Trump and Biden.

From left to right: Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy and Senator Tim Scott on the debate stage

Former Arizona Senate candidate Kari Lake (left) and Rep. Majorie Taylor Greene (right) have been mentioned as Trump’s possible running mates

During the GOP debate, which took place across the country at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, the former president was a topic of conversation.

Chris Christie was the first candidate on stage to roast Trump for missing the action.

The former New Jersey governor stared straight into the camera and then delivered the punch.

“Donald, I know you’re watching. You can’t help yourself. I know you’re watching, okay?’ said Christie, a former Trump adviser who is now denouncing the former president.

“And you’re not here tonight – not because of polls, and not because of your charges. You’re not here tonight because you’re afraid to stand on the podium and defend your record.’

Ron DeSantis also attacked Trump for going “missing.”

DeSantis compared Trump to Biden and asked why he wasn’t on stage with the rest of the candidates in California.

“Where is Joe Biden, he is completely lacking in leadership action,” DeSantis said.

“And you know who else is missing?” the governor added. ‘Donald Trump is missing in action. He should be on stage tonight.”