Ernst: Trump 'must have his eyes set on somebody else' for VP

U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst on Thursday gave the clearest indication yet that she is not in the running for the vice presidential nomination, telling Iowa reporters she has not been contacted by Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and doesn’t expect to be.

“I think he must have his eyes set on somebody else, and that’s OK,” she said.

Ernst, a first-term Republican and retired Army officer, is viewed as a rising star in the party. Gov. Terry Branstad touted her last month as a strong running mate for presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump, leading to a boomlet of VP speculation.

She’s currently ranked fifth on a Washington Post list of Trump’s most likely running-mates.

But in a conference call on Thursday, Ernst said she’s heard nothing from the campaign and has all but ruled out the possibility.

“Nobody has reached out to me, so I am doubtful of that,” Ernst said. “If that was being considered, somebody, I think, would have reached out to me. Nobody has reached out.”

When asked if she would accept an offer to join the Republican ticket, she deflected.

“I don’t think an offer is going to be forthcoming, so I really haven’t considered that option to be honest,” she said. “I think I just need to focus on Iowa.”