Never Trump’s Last Stand

If you only read one thing: A blown aircraft tire stranded Donald Trump in Indiana Tuesday night, and set off a fury of vice presidential speculation, as the presumptive GOP nominee met with veep finalists Indiana Gov. Mike Pence and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. He also spoke by phone with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who was in D.C. for meetings for the Trump transition, and summoned Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions to his side. Trump has yet to finalize his selection, according to people close to him, with aides, family members, and GOP insiders calling for Pence, while Trump’s gut leads him more toward Christie or Gingrich. One of them will be awarded a rose Friday morning at 11 a.m. in New York, when Trump makes his selection public.

It’s #NeverTrump’s last stand. As the GOP Convention rules committee convenes in Cleveland, the anti-Trump movement is set to exhaust all of its options to dump the bombastic presumptive nominee. The RNC made clear that an amendment would be necessary to unbind the delegates, and thereby open up the possibility of a different selection, but those in favor of the move suffer from a lack of support on the key committee. Stacked with RNC loyalists, party institutionalists, and Trump supporters, the ‘Free the Delegates’ coalition is struggling to come up with the 28 signatures—in the 112-person body—required to send a minority report to the full convention. And even in the unlikely event it get to the floor, the same forces would conspire to defeat them, keeping Trump safely as the nominee.

Hillary Clinton is conducting her own vice presidential audition process, appearing with Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine on Thursday in his home state. It follows similar joint appearances with Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker, Julián Castro and Sherrod Brown, all listed as possible contenders for the slot.

In TIME’s special GOP Convention issue, on newsstands tomorrow: The man who’s photographed Trump more than any other. What Donald Trump needs to know to be president. And meet the Trump kids.

Here are your must-reads:

Must Reads

What a President Needs to Know
Jon Meacham on Donald Trump’s novice candidacy [TIME]

The Apprentices
TIME’s Alex Altman on Donald Trump’s closest advisers: His kids.

Hillary Clinton: ‘America’s Long Struggle With Race Is Far From Finished’
Clinton calls for unity and laments Donald Trump’s rise [TIME]

For Whites Sensing Decline, Donald Trump Unleashes Words of Resistance
The Trump effect [New York Times]

Sen. Tim Scott reveals incidents of being targeted by Capitol Police
Black Republican speaks out in powerful speech [Politico]

Judge attacked by Trump weighs releasing key video in Trump University case
Candidate’s testimony could be political weapon [Washington Post]

Sound Off

“If I had to vote for cancer or heart attack, why would I vote for either?” — Charles Koch to Fortune

“All of you have received emails that say ‘no delegate is bound. That’s not true.” — RNC General Counsel John Ryder, shooting down one popular #DumpTrump theory

Bits and Bites

Donald Trump to Name Vice President Friday in New York [TIME]

I’ve Photographed Donald Trump More Than Anyone Else [TIME]

Watch Hillary Clinton Turns Donald Trump’s Speeches Against Him in Her New Ad [TIME]

Joe Klein: After Baton Rouge, Minneapolis and Dallas, Signs of Passionate Sanity [TIME]

First Openly Gay Republican on GOP Platform Committee: ‘Why Am I Even Here?’ [TIME]

Trump Seeking $10M From Fired Aide [TIME]

44 Fake Presidents From Worst to Best [Wall Street Journal]

What Newt Gingrich Really Thinks of Donald Trump [ProPublica]

House Democrats Unveil Campaign Agenda in Hopes of Gaining Ground [New York Times]

Three Nonprofits, Former Koch Brothers’ Associates, Fined by F.E.C. [New York Times]

Sen. Angus King: I can’t vote for Donald Trump ‘in good conscience’ [Politico]