For much of the past year, Donald Trump has described his perfect running mate as someone who could easily take over as commander in chief if needed and help him draw a contrast to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

"It’s got to be somebody that can be a good president, which Biden doesn’t have,” Trump said in April during an interview with Hugh Hewitt, a conservative political commentator.

But now, as the curtain closes on his theatrical selection process, his public statements suggest that his thinking has shifted and he’s giving more weight to political calculations.