Cory Booker laces into Trump in VP tryout

Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) on Wednesday fueled speculation that he could be Hillary Clinton’s vice presidential pick with an all-out assault on Donald Trump at a campaign event in New Jersey.

“The issues we hear Donald Trump talking about are just so contrary to who we are as a people,” the first-term senator said at a Clinton rally in Newark.

{mosads}“They are an affront and an insult to our higher angels and our best selves,” Booker added. “We have Abraham Lincoln saying, ‘with malice towards none’ and Donald Trump saying ‘with hate for all.’ ”

Booker is seen as a rising star in the Democratic Party, having risen from the mayor of Newark to a senator with an active following on social media.

While Clinton has given few clues about who she might pick as her running mate should she become the nominee, Booker is often mentioned by political pundits as a contender because he would bring youth and diversity to the ticket.

That speculation turned Wednesday’s rally into a tryout of sorts for Booker, who is still relatively new to national politics.

One of the key jobs of a vice presidential candidate is to be an attack dog, and Booker embraced that task with relish, throwing a series of rhetorical bombs at the presumptive Republican nominee.

“We have Donald Trump standing up as one of the greatest fear-mongers in this nation’s history. He’s trying to make us afraid of each other.”

Booker presented Clinton, who appeared at the event, as the compassionate counterpoint to Trump.

“I have never stood for a presidential candidate I have more confidence in, reverence for and love towards,” he said.

“This is a person who has gone above and beyond herself for making this a better country. I’ve stood with this woman all over this country now and I’ve seen the way she talks to folks. She looks at them and says, ‘we will rise.’ ”

Booker urged New Jersey voters to go for Clinton in the state’s primary on June 7. Polls have given Clinton a double-digit lead over Bernie Sanders in the state.

“You see, elections have consequences,” he said. “So many people want to complain but they don’t want to vote. We can talk about Hillary Clinton, we can celebrate her, we can support her, but if we don’t come out and vote for her, for shame.”

Clinton returned the praise during her speech, lauding Booker’s Senate record and teasing areas of potential collaboration.

“Cory Booker is a very special senator and a very special person. I can’t wait to work with him on criminal justice reform and ending the era of mass incarceration.”

Reporters picked up on the positive vibes Booker and Clinton directed one another’s way.

#veepstakes update: Cory Booker has “more energy and charisma than anybody else I know,” Clinton says in Newark

— Jennifer Epstein (@jeneps) June 1, 2016

Cory Booker doing his VP audition now, lashing out at Trump and giving vigorous defense of Hillary in speech to crowd in Newark

— Manu Raju (@mkraju) June 1, 2016