Trump Talks V.P. Shortlist Pros and Cons (He Likes Vance’s Beard)

As the deadline for him to pick a running mate approaches, former President Donald J. Trump on Wednesday acknowledged that some of his top contenders have some factors that could complicate their being chosen.

Mr. Trump, who views abortion as one of his biggest political vulnerabilities, told Brian Kilmeade on Fox News Radio that Doug Burgum’s signing of a strict abortion ban in North Dakota, where he is governor, was “a little bit of an issue.”

And when asked about Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, Mr. Trump acknowledged that with the Constitution potentially making it more challenging for two residents of the same state to share a presidential ticket, selecting Mr. Rubio would be “more complicated.”

Still, Mr. Trump lauded both Mr. Rubio and Mr. Burgum as “great” men and offered similar praise to Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio. Mr. Trump did not preemptively raise any potential issues with Mr. Vance, and he was asked just one question: whether there was any truth to a report that Mr. Vance’s beard would keep him from being Mr. Trump’s running mate.

“I’ve never heard that one,” said Mr. Trump, who is known for favoring political appointees who look as if they had come from “central casting.”

He added that he thought Mr. Vance “looks like a young Abraham Lincoln.”

Mr. Trump did not deny that the three men are the leading contenders to become the Republican vice-presidential nominee. He has fed into speculation surrounding his potential running mate for months, turning the vetting process into public auditions and displays of fealty that he has relished.