Donald Trump stages rally in Pennsylvania

Image via AP.

Donald Trump will have one last chance Saturday to unveil his vice presidential pick on a rally stage before the Republican National Convention kicks off in Milwaukee next week.

Trump’s rally in western Pennsylvania, at the Butler Farm Show just outside Pittsburgh, comes as the former reality TV star and tabloid hound continues to tease his pick, working to drum up maximum attention and hype.

Trump has made clear in recent days that his preference is to dramatically reveal his pick live at the convention — something the ratings-obsessed former president has said would make the proceedings more “interesting” and “exciting.”

Other opportunities have come and gone.

At a rally Tuesday night at his Doral golf club, he at one point marveled at the number of reporters in attendance.

“I think they probably think I’m going to be announcing that Marco is going to be vice president,” he said of Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, a top contender, who was sitting in the front row.

Saturday’s venue, in a critical battleground state, sits about an hour from the border with Ohio, home to Sen. JD Vance, one of the presumptive nominee’s top contenders — which had sparked another round of speculation.

But none of the men who are considered Trump’s top contenders — Vance, Rubio and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum — are expected to attend the rally, according to two people familiar with the schedule who, like others, spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the plans.

Each of the finalists has pluses and drawbacks.

Earlier this week, Trump was quizzed on some in a Fox News Radio interview.

Was Vance’s beard a strike against him, he was asked, following a report in The Bulwark that that was a concern?

“No, never heard that one,” the clean-shaven Trump said with a laugh. Vance “looks good. He looks like a young Abraham Lincoln.”

What about the highly restrictive limits that Burgum signed in law North Dakota banning nearly all abortions?

“Well, it’s a little bit of an issue. It’s a pretty strong ban,” said Trump. “You know, I think Doug is great, but … the state has. So it’s an issue. Everything’s an issue.”

And what about Rubio’s “Florida problem”? Would the fact that Rubio would likely have to move stop Trump from picking him?

“No, but it does make it more complicated,” he said. “There are people that don’t have that complication. Now it’s fairly easily fixed, but you have to do something with delegates or there has to be a resignation, you know, etc., etc. So it’s not like picking some people where it’s very easy, where there is none of that.”

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Republished with permission of the Associated Press.