Burgum dodges question about talks with Trump over vice president job

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum on Sunday dodged questions about Donald Trump's vice presidential short list, saying any conversations on that matter are between him and the former president.

“That would be between the president and I,” Burgum said on NBC News’s Meet the Press when asked “yes or no” whether he’s had any conversations with Trump about being his pick for vice president . Host Kristen Welker was quick to pounce on his response, saying, "That's not a no" from the North Dakota governor.

Burgum pointed out that Trump has a short list of numerous quality candidates that could also make the eventual cut, and emphasized everything about the selection process is "between the campaign and those that might be being considered."

“He can probably win the election without a vice president … but I think he’ll make a decision,” Burgum said, noting Trump's recent "strong debate performance" with President Joe Biden on Thursday and the positive polling position Trump has found himself in even before the Thursday night debate.

The North Dakota governor also defended Trump against the most common criticism the former president has received since the debate, which involved the veracity of his statements. Trump "made more than 30 false claims," according to CNN, though Biden's gaffes and concerns about his mental acuity largely turned Trump's statements into an afterthought for commentators and their post-debate conversations.

"The whole manufactured thing this morning that Donald Trump has said something that he hasn't said before, I mean everything that he said on Thursday night he's been saying before it so this is not news," Burgum said.

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Trump's vice presidential short list also includes notable Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Tim Scott (R-SC), and J.D. Vance (R-OH), as well as prominent allies such as Reps. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) and Byron Donalds (R-FL), among others.

The former president has suggested he will announce his vice presidential pick at the Republican National Convention, which begins July 15.