Mark Kelly sparks VP speculation with a now-deleted tweet

Arizona Senator Mark Kelly has ramped up speculation (and confusion) surrounding his chances of being picked as Vice President in a recently deleted social media post.

The retired astronaut and United States Navy Captain-turned-politician is among a shortlist of candidates to become Vice President Kamala Harris's running mate.

But his latest post has led many to question whether he is no longer in the running, as Kelly had shared that his focus is now on "serving Arizonans" suggesting he's not going to be VP.

“My background is a bit different than most politicians,” the since-deleted post read. “I spent my life serving in the Navy and at NASA, where the mission always comes first.

“Now my mission is serving Arizonans.”

But this has since been replaced with a more general message that doesn't seem to confirm what is in store for Kelly.

“Whether it was from my time in the Navy and at NASA, serving in the United States Senate, or visiting our troops overseas: I’ve learned that when your country asks you to serve, you always answer the call,” he wrote.

This post also included a photo of himself speaking with military personnel.

Meanwhile, Harris has not yet confirmed who will be her running mate in the election this November where she is up against former president Donald Trump and his running mate JD Vance.

As well as Kelly, some of the other politicians on the shortlist include Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, Govs. Andy Beshear of Kentucky, J.B. Pritzker of Illinois and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

Harris reportedly conducted interviews with all six of the candidates at the weekend, according to Associated Press.

Then Harris is expected to hold her first rally with her new vice presidential nominee on Tuesday (August 6) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Reuters has reported that her VP pick could therefore be revealed on Monday at the earliest.

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