Donald Trump was never considering New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez as a running mate, even if she is the nation's only Latina governor and leader of the Republican Governor's Association, as he "doesn't work that way," campaign spokeswoman Katrina Pierson said Thursday.
"I'm really shocked that people are still surprised that he's not looking at race and gender when he makes his decisions," she told CNN's
"New Day" program.
"He definitely is looking at individuals, a lot of people are being submitted. They are being vetted. And he wants the best person for the job. He doesn't want to pick somebody just because of their race or gender."
And as for Martinez herself?
"I think it's safe to say the governor was never on the VP short list," Pierson said.
Pierson said on CNN's "New Day" Thursday morning
Trump has come under fire for slamming Martinez during an Albuquerque Tuesday night, when he blamed her for the rise in the number of people on food stamps in her state over the past 16 years, as well as the Syrian refugees who are settling in, and declared to the crowd that maybe he should run to replace her.
Even former House Speaker
Newt Gingrich, considered to be one of the top people under consideration to become Trump's running mate, said Wednesday that the attack on Martinez was an example of him going "off the deep end."
Martinez has not endorsed anyone in the presidential race, and has criticized Trump for his stance on immigration.
Martinez, who is New Mexico's first female governor, is also the first Latina governor in U.S. history. She was first elected into office in 2010 and re-elected in 2014.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.