President Donald Trump insisted that his eldest daughter, Ivanka, be his running mate during the 2016 election, according to a new book by a former Trump campaign aide that’s set to be released Oct. 13.

The upcoming book, written by Trump’s former deputy campaign manager Rick Gates, titled “Wicked Game: An Insider’s Story on How Trump Won, Mueller Failed, and America Lost” includes talks with Trump and his top campaign aides about his pick for vice president, with the then-Republican candidate floating Ivanka as his selection, according to a report by The Washington Post on Monday.

“I think it should be Ivanka. What about Ivanka as my VP?” Trump questioned the group deciding his running mate.

“She’s bright, she’s smart, she’s beautiful, and the people would love her!” Trump persisted, as “the team polled the idea twice,” The Washington Post reported.

For weeks, Trump was “so taken” with his then-thirty-four-year-old daughter with no elected office experience to be his vice-president, yet “so cool” with other candidates like then-Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, the report noted. It wasn’t until Ivanka told her father that it “wasn’t a good idea” to have her as his running mate, prompting Trump to finally lock in Pence to battle then-Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. Pence secured the nomination after his “vicious and extended monologue” about former President Bill Clinton and Hillary at a breakfast event, according to Gates.

Trump’s 2020 communications director Tim Murtaugh responded to the uncovering on Monday, telling CNN, “This is not true and there was never any such poll.”

Gates referred to the matter as Trump’s clear “commitment to family, loyalty and ensuring those around him support his agenda and not their own,” according to The Washington Post.

Despite the findings, Gates also noted that he isn’t sure if Trump would have actually followed through with the agenda of selecting his daughter as his running mate.

Ivanka introduced her father when he first announced his endeavor to become president in June 2015 and currently serves as a senior adviser to the president in the White House. Trump has championed her political talent and efforts during his term, touting her as a better candidate than Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Democratic nominee Joe Biden’s 2020 running mate.

“I want to see the first woman president also, but I don't want to see a woman president get into that position the way she’d do it, and she’s not competent, she’s not competent,” Trump said at a recent campaign rally, referring to Harris. “They’re all saying, ‘We want Ivanka.’ I don’t blame you.”

Rachel Bucchino is a reporter at the National Interest. Her work has appeared in The Washington Post, U.S. News & World Report and The Hill.

Image: Reuters