At the end of May I posted about an interview of Donald Trump by the New York Times in which he “teased” that he does not really want to serve as president. Donald Trump doesn’t want to be president, he wants to be the celebrity chairman of a reality TV show.
Today, the Columbus Dispatch has a report that appears to confirm this, and reports that John Kasich is who Trump originally wanted to be his running mate. Trump’s offer to Kasich to be running mate: Be in charge of both domestic, foreign policy:
John Kasich could’ve been the second-most powerful person in America, but overtures a couple of months ago to become Donald Trump’s running mate were rejected.
Donald Trump Jr. and campaign chief Paul Manafort both reached out to John Weaver, Kasich’s top campaign consultant, both shortly before and after Kasich dropped out of the presidential race May 4, Weaver told The Dispatch.
If Kasich became vice president in a Trump administration, he would have been put in charge of both domestic and foreign policy, four Kasich campaign sources told The Dispatch. Trump’s oldest son and Manafort portrayed the potential offer as making Kasich the most powerful vice president in U.S. history.
When asked what Trump would be doing, his son replied, “making America great again,” echoing Trump’s campaign theme.
Wow.
The conversations led to a phone call from Trump to Kasich, but the billionaire talked only in generalities. One source said Trump didn’t want to invite Kasich onto the ticket if he wasn’t for sure going to say yes.
Kasich has recounted that phone call. He has said he told Trump to read his Two Paths speech, in which he compared his course for uniting people to the path of division chosen by Trump. Weaver said he sent it to Manafort.
“Think of it as a merger of two companies. If the values are not somewhat similar, if the culture is not somewhat similar, it’s pretty hard to do a merger,” the governor told The Dispatch and cleveland.com May 24.
One Kasich adviser said, “He’s been pretty clear about having a different philosophy.”
Weaver remarked, “Mr. Trump and the governor haven’t spoken since then.”
* * *
Earlier this month, at Kasich’s direction, Weaver called Manafort to say Kasich wouldn’t even endorse Trump.
The spurned courtship may be one reason Trump is lashing out now at Kasich, one source said.
As the convention began Monday, Manafort called Kasich an “embarrassment” to his party and state for not getting behind Trump and attending the convention in his home state, which drew the ire of top Ohio political leaders.
Today, Trump sources told CNN they never considered Kasich, and that his background read like a “trashy novel.” Shortly after arriving in Cleveland this afternoon, Trump tweeted, “John Kasich was never asked by me to be V.P. Just arrived in Cleveland – will be a great two days!”
Too many sources in a position to know say you did. It’s all just a scam by the biggest con man and grifter in America.
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