Politics & Government
Murphy Met Privately With Trump In NJ Amid VP Chatter: Reports
Gov. Phil Murphy's name has been floated as a possible Democratic vice presidential candidate to run with Kamala Harris, reports say.
NEW JERSEY — New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy had a private meeting with former President Donald Trump at Trump's Bedminster golf club over the weekend, reports say.
The news of the meeting, first reported by the Washington Post on Monday afternoon, comes as Murphy's name has been floated as a possible vice presidential candidate for Kamala Harris.
Murphy, a Democrat who is in his second term as governor, met with Trump to wish him well following the assassination attempt on the former president July 13 at a rally in Pennsylvania, the Washington Post and NJ.com reported.
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The report comes as Murphy was set to head to Washington, DC, on Tuesday afternoon, NJ101.5 reported. The reason for the trip has not been disclosed.
Mahen Gunaratna, Murphy's communications director, confirmed the governor's meeting with Trump in a statement to the Washington Post and to NJ.com.
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"Governor Murphy and the First Lady reached out to former President Trump immediately after last weekend’s assassination attempt to say that they were keeping him in their prayers. While the former President was recuperating at his residence in New Jersey, they had an opportunity to wish him well in person this past Saturday," the statement said. "The governor is an American first and believes an issue as serious as the safety of current and former presidents transcends partisan politics."
Murphy has been contacted by some national Democrats about being a possible vice presidential candidate since President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 presidential race, NJ.com reported Monday.
Biden, who announced his decision on Sunday, endorsed Harris, his vice president, to be the Democratic nominee for president in the race against Trump, who was formally named the Republican nominee last week at the Republican National Convention.
The Democratic National Convention is set for mid-August.
Murphy has been a staunch supporter of and fundraiser for Biden, and has endorsed Harris to be the Democratic nominee.
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