Another Donald Trump Surprise: A Registered Democrat As Potential Running Mate?

You have got to hand it to Donald Trump – he knows how to keep the media busy.

Whether he is suggesting a wall be built around the United States should he become president or he says people should “ask the gays” about how he is viewed by the LGBTQ community, the media has been all over his every word, or at least most of his words. Now, though, Donald Trump is setting tongues wagging again with news of his potential running mate.

Trump’s seriously considering a retired general: Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn https://t.co/iY88oWlF2t pic.twitter.com/xPlWIExfEE

— slone (@slone) July 10, 2016

Retired general Michael T. Flynn is, according to Stars and Stripes, a registered Democrat who has been quite outspoken in his criticism about the Obama administration. Donald Trump is considering Flynn largely because he likes the idea of a businessman and a high-ranking military figure hitting the White House as a pair of outsiders, and he also believes Flynn would provide him with the tough appearance he needs in order to be taken seriously about issues of national security.

The New York Post was one of the first newspapers to report that Flynn was being vetted by the Donald Trump team, and of the consideration, Flynn noted that he’s “been a soldier too long to refuse to entertain any request from a potential commander in chief.”

Flynn was reportedly forced out of the military in 2014 after informing President Obama of the global jihadist threat. Flynn served as the head of the Defense Intelligence Agency from 2012 to 2014, but reportedly tangled with Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence Michael Vickers, among other colleagues. The difficulties between Flynn and other high-ranking government officials may well have been what led to his eventual ouster.

With his 33 years of military experience, according to Heavy, Flynn has become an important advisor about foreign policy with Donald Trump’s camp, and has reportedly been “in close touch” with Trump staffers and has briefed Trump about such matters several times.

Donald Trump has said previously that he would like to have a running mate chosen before the Republican convention on July 18.

Other Donald Trump advisors have suggested that he needs to pick someone as a running mate that will help him unite the Republican party, which apparently stands divided over Trump, International Business Times reports. His advisors have suggested either a seasoned governor or a senator, so other potential vice presidential choices like Indiana Governor Mike Pence, former House speaker Newt Gingrich and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie have also made the list.

However, Flynn is going through the vetting process currently, and a source from Donald Trump’s camp has said that he has been testing the waters about how the two names sound together.

“Trump-Flynn. I’ve heard him say that, kind of test out the sound of it. I think it’s a brand he finds appealing.” an unnamed source told Washington Post.

The most interesting word in Donald Trump’s Dallas statement https://t.co/MYqm0ZkhuB

— Elaine Ossipov (@eossipov) July 9, 2016

Donald Trump also made headlines this week due to his choice of words regarding the shootings of the police officers in Dallas, Texas. The Washington Post discussed his statement, in which Donald Trump called the deaths of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling “senseless.” It appears that many on social media took exception with the word and suggested that Donald Trump was speaking before allowing investigators into the two shootings to make appropriate conclusions about the officer-involved shootings.

His statement, which was posted on Facebook, reads in part, “The senseless, tragic deaths of two people in Louisiana and Minnesota reminds us how much more needs to be done…Crime is harming too many citizens. Racial tensions have gotten worse, not better. This isn’t the American Dream we all want for our children.”

Facebook user Jolyn Colon was one of many who expressed her concerns about Donald Trump’s choice of words.

“Mr. Trump,” she writes, “I appreciate your on-going support of our brave police officers, but we don’t yet know the facts of those shootings in Louisiana and Minnesota. And until we do, we shouldn’t take the bait of the left and call them “senseless”.

April Jacobson said, “How do you know their deaths were senseless? The motorists that is, last I knew a investigation has not been conducted fully to determine whether the officers have been justified in their killings. I’ve been an avid supporter of Mr. Trump. I’m upset to see him say the officers were wrong before anyone knows whether or not they are.”

Mike Dan also questioned Donald Trump’s choice of the word “senseless.”

“How can you say the Minnesota and Louisiana deaths were senseless?” he asked. “No officers have been charged. Investigations are still on-going. Officers might have been doing the job they took an oath to do. Serve and protect. Everyone wants to say innocent until proven guilty. Well say the same for officers then.”

If Donald Trump does go ahead with Michael Flynn as his running mate, he might also hope that Flynn will encourage a better choice of words when Trump decides to release statements to the media, whether it’s social media or otherwise.

[Photo by John Sommers II/Getty Images]