The Daily Caller’s Vince Coglianese contributed to this report.
Amid speculation he is on the short list, Alabama Sen. [crscore]Jeff Sessions[/crscore] told The Daily Caller on Friday that he “would consider” an offer to be Donald Trump’s running mate, “like any other citizen should,” if offered.
It’s the farthest Sessions has gone in publicly acknowledging interest in serving in a potential Trump administration.
During an half-hour interview in his Capitol Hill office about a wide-range of topics — including immigration, trade, national security and the 2016 campaign — TheDC asked Sessions if he is open to being Trump’s running mate.
“If I could help him in some way — and he were to ask me — I would consider it like any other citizen should,” said Sessions, who was the first senator to endorse Trump’s presidential campaign and serves as an adviser to the presumptive Republican nominee.
“Can I help? Can I help the country do better if I accepted or not? But I don’t expect that to happen. And I’ve certainly had no discussions with him about it.”
Tie-less and drinking from a coffee cup with the map of Alabama on it, Sessions went out of his way to note that he hasn’t ruled the possibility out: “I did get quoted one time sort of saying I would reject an opportunity to serve in a Trump administration, which is totally false.”
But speaking from his Russell Senate office, decorated with Alabama and Auburn football helmets, Sessions said of being tapped for VP: “I don’t think that’s going to happen. And I think he can get a better candidate.”
Sessions, 69, frequently makes the list of possible running mates. Trump has said he would like to pick a “political person” who could help him govern. This week, Trump’s campaign manager said Trump would likely choose someone with “federal elective” experience,” suggesting he would pick someone from inside the Capitol, and not a governor.
Sessions, a former U.S. attorney and attorney general in Alabama, was elected to the Senate in 1996.
Sessions — who has bonded with Trump over their shared interest in immigration, trade and the working class — endorsed the New York businessman before Alabama’s primary in March. A top aide to Sessions, Stephen Miller, left his Senate office to join Trump’s campaign as a senior policy adviser.
A favorite of conservative talk radio hosts, the Alabama lawmaker also serves as chairman of the Trump campaign’s national security advisory committee.
Sessions is a soft-spoken, contemplative lawmaker and differs from other potential Trump running mates in that he has not run for president before.
But — the argument goes — that could also be appealing to Trump if he’s looking for a partner who won’t overshadow him as vice president, but would work to push his agenda without the considerations of how it would affect his future political career.
Check back for more from The Daily Caller’s exclusive interview with Sen. Jeff Sessions in the coming days.