Donald Trump slams 'fake report' claiming he suggested Ivanka as his running mate in 2016

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday lashed out at a media channel for reporting that he suggested naming daughter Ivanka Trump as the Republican candidate for Vice President in 2016 elections. Terming it as fake news, Trump said it was ridiculous of the media to report that he wanted Ivanka to be his running mate in 2016 Presidential elections.

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Citing a book authored by Trump’s former deputy campaign manager Rick Gates, a US media channel had reported that the President suggested naming his then-34-year-old daughter Ivanka Trump as Vice President, who had never held an elected office.

"I think it should be Ivanka. What about Ivanka as my VP? She's bright, she's smart, she's beautiful, and the people would love her!" read a quote from Gates’ book which is set to publish in October.

It further said that Trump brought up the idea repeatedly over the following weeks, insisting she would be embraced by the Republican base. According to Gates, Trump was so taken with the concept of his eldest daughter being the vice president that his team polled the idea twice, according to Gates.

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'Ivanka turned down the idea'

The former campaign manager further wrote it was Ivanka Trump who finally ended the conversation by telling her father it was not a good idea. Donald Trump then selected Mike Pence, after the governor impressed him by delivering a "vicious and extended monologue" about Bill and Hillary Clinton at a breakfast later that summer.

While others might perceive the incident as a distasteful symbol of Trump's nepotism, Gates said it shows the President’s commitment to family, loyalty and ensuring those around him support his agenda and not their own.

After working on the 2016 campaign, Gates pleaded guilty in February 2018 to conspiracy against the United States and lying to federal investigators in relation to lobbying work he had done in Ukraine before joining Trump's team. He was sentenced to 45 days in prison, and probation for three years. His prison term was suspended in April due to coronavirus pandemic.

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(Image credits: AP)