Trump spokeswoman: New Mexico Gov. Martinez was never under VP consideration

Donald Trump never wanted New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez as his vice president anyway, according to the presumptive Republican nominee’s national spokeswoman, Katrina Pierson.

“I think it's safe to say the governor was never on the VP short list,” Pierson told CNN’s “New Day" on Thursday.


Asked why Trump would not consider Martinez “even though she is a popular Republican governor and a Latina woman,” Pierson responded that “Mr. Trump doesn’t work that way.”

“And I’m really shocked that people are still surprised that he is not looking at race and gender when he makes his decisions,” Pierson said. “He definitely is looking at individuals, a lot of people are being submitted. They are being vetted. He wants the best person for the job. He doesn’t want to pick somebody just because of their race or gender.”

Campaigning in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Tuesday night, Trump took several shots at the governor, who also chairs the Republican Governors Association and has thus far declined to endorse him as the party’s nominee.

Several Republicans who have expressed varying degrees of concern about Trump as their party’s standard-bearer rushed to Martinez’s defense, including former primary rivals Govs. Scott Walker of Wisconsin and John Kasich of Ohio, and Sen. Marco Rubio and former Gov. Jeb Bush, both of Florida.