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Trump: People who said no to VP were never considered

 

Multiple people have said they don’t want to be Donald Trump’s vice president, but on Tuesday, Trump said anyone who has declined interest wasn't being considered anyway.

 

Multiple people have said they don’t want to be Donald Trump’s vice president, but on Tuesday, Trump said anyone who has declined interest wasn't being considered anyway.

While we may not know who is actually being vetted by Trump’s team, the presumptive Republican nominee had definitely left the door open (though  just cracked for some) for a few of the people who have been saying no thanks over the past week.

So who was Trump's missive directed at? Here are some notable names who've indicated they don't want to be on a Trump ticket in November: 

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio

On Monday, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio posted a statement on his Facebook page that basically said Republican voters might have chosen Trump, but he didn’t, so don’t consider him for the ticket.

"While Republican voters have chosen Donald Trump as the presumptive GOP nominee, my previously stated reservations about his campaign and concerns with many of his policies remain unchanged. He will be best served by a running mate and by surrogates who fully embrace his campaign. As such, I have never sought, will not seek and do not want to be considered for Vice President. Instead, I will focus my attention on representing the people of Florida, retaining a conservative majority in the Senate and electing principled conservatives across the country."

But Trump seemed to think they had a better relationship than that last week. 

“We’ve had really nice conversations, not necessarily about that,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News, referring to Rubio being his vice president. “We always had a very good relationship, Bret, Marco and I, and then it got a little bit nasty for a period of time.”

New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez

A spokesman for New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez told The Weekly Standard last week that Martinez was flattered but didn’t want the job.

"The Governor has said repeatedly over the years that she isn’t interested in serving as Vice President. She appreciates that such attention puts New Mexico in the spotlight, but she is fully committed to serving the people of our state," Martinez spokesman Chris Sanchez said.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich

And Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who became the last candidate to drop out of the race the day after last week's Indiana primary , has repeatedly said he wouldn’t be Trump’s vice president.

Last month, he said there was “zero chance” he’d be Trump’s no. 2, and in an interview out Monday posted on Cleveland.com, Kasich’s chief strategist, John Weaver, was asked if he thought the governor would reconsider now that he’s not running for president.

“Under no circumstances. He's been as Shermanesque about that as one can be,” Weaver said.

For his part, Trump hadn’t warmed up much to the idea of teaming up with Kasich, but he didn’t completely rule it out either.

“I’ve had a good relationship with him and, you know, I really got along with him pretty well,” Trump said to CNBC May 5. “I would say probably it’s unlikely that it will be John. I’m not sure that John even wants it. But I think it is unlikely that it will be John. You know I do have a good view of him and I do have a good opinion of him, but I think it’s probably unlikely.” 

Trump has said he wants someone with political experience and is friendly with politicians. Having a well-liked politician on his ticket might help bring the party together, since he’s he’s having some trouble with that.  

And one person Trump has specifically ruled out: South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley. 

In an interview with Fox News last week, host Bret Baier asked Trump about a CNN report that had him considering Haley, Martinez and Ohio Sen. Rob Portman for veep.

Trump quickly cut him off, saying that Haley was not on that list (she's also said she didn’t want to be on it anyway). 

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