Donald Trump Says His Future Running Mate Will ‘Most Likely’ Attend the First Presidential Debate

Donald Trump dropped an Easter egg to look out for during his first 2024 presidential debate with Joe Biden on Thursday, June 27.

The former president told NBC News at a campaign stop in Philadelphia over the weekend that his future running mate — who remains unconfirmed — will "most likely" attend the upcoming presidential debate.

“They’ll be there,” he told the outlet. “I think we have a lot of people coming.”

Trump clarified that he has decided on his running mate in his "mind," but "nobody knows" of his pick yet.

The former president has reportedly considered several Republicans for the role of vice president, and he's already sent vetting documents to a handful of them, though insiders believe he currently favors three above the rest: J.D. Vance, Doug Burgum and Marco Rubio.

He is expected to reveal his final choice, which could still change, by the time of the Republican National Convention in mid-July. Of course, he may choose to announce his running mate sooner.

So far, Trump and Biden have put two general election debates on the calendar. Though neither is formally their party's nominee just yet — that happens at the conventions this summer — they have both secured enough delegates to face off as the major party candidates in November.

The first debate is scheduled for Thursday in Atlanta, moderated without a live audience by CNN anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash. The second will be hosted by ABC News on Sept. 10, featuring David Muir and Linsey Davis as moderators.

Biden, 81, is the oldest president in U.S. history — a record previously set by Trump, now 78.

The 2024 debates will serve as mental competency tests for the two of them, who are under enormous pressure to demonstrate that age is just a number.

Thursday's debate comes less than a month after Trump was found guilty of 34 felony charges in Manhattan. The first-ever criminal trial of a former president determined that he falsified business records in order to conceal a conspiracy to corrupt the 2016 election.

Trump now faces up to four years in prison and will appear back in court for sentencing on July 11, four days before the Republican National Convention.

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