Former Sen. Al D'Amato, who last year endorsed John Kasich for president, tells
Newsmax TV he would be comfortable with the Ohio governor as the vice-presidential running mate of Republican front-runner Donald Trump.
"I don't know if [Kasich] would take it but it's pretty hard to turn down," D'Amato, a New York Republican who served from 1981 to 1999, said Wednesday to J.D. Hayworth on "Newsmax Prime."
"That would be a very powerful combination and he could help Donald not only in the campaign, but if he were to be elected, he certainly would be invaluable."
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D'Amato said Kasich's nine terms as a U.S. representative, which included his service as chairman of the House Budget Committee and as a member of House Armed Services Committee, would greatly enhance a Trump administration.
"I was attracted to John early on because no Republican has ever been elected to the White House … in the history of the Republican Party if he did not carry Ohio. That hasn't changed. If you don't carry Ohio and you're a Republican you're not going to win," said D'Amato, who endorsed Kasich last August.
But Trump's huge haul of 89 delegates to Kasich's three and Cruz's zero in Tuesday's New York primary appears to be a game changer for the billionaire developer, who'd taken hit after hit from Ted Cruz in other recent state contests, D'Amato told Hayworth.
"This picks up his campaign … This gives him momentum, it gives him a shot at getting to 1,237 which he needs to clinch the nomination and it's certainly going to put him right within striking distance if he doesn't get there," he said.
"In the forthcoming states, it gives him a big boost. He's leading in Pennsylvania, he's leading in New Jersey and in Connecticut, etc. I think he has that momentum back and he's obviously going to be difficult to beat. He has a good chance of getting 1,237 before the convention convenes."
Asked about the possibility of a Ted Cruz-John Kasich ticket, D'Amato said Republicans would have to be very careful the party didn't alienate Trump supporters.
"Do you deny someone the nomination who by popular vote has accumulated millions more than anybody close to him?" D'Amato asked.
"If he's very close to 1237 and you pull that rug out from under him? Do you risk offending many, many of, not only his supporters, but people who would feel that their vote has been wasted, taken away? Do you risk alienating a substantial part of the Republican base? That's what they've got to weigh up."
D'Amato was also critical of the Republican Rules Committee's enactment of the so-called Rule 40b, which allows candidates to be nominated only if they have won total delegate majorities in eight or more states. That regulation that could prove a spoiler at the upcoming GOP convention, allowing a new candidate to be anointed.
"They should never have enacted 40b. That was something that Mitt Romney and his clique put together so that they could stop Ron Paul," he said.
"Rule 40b is absolutely ridiculous but to do away with it now in order to deprive someone of the nomination and try to go to somebody who maybe didn't even participate in the process, I think would be a mistake … You would be alienating Trump supporters and Cruz supporters … That would be very dangerous."
D'Amato said both Trump and Cruz, in the eyes of their supporters, have identified many of the country's most pressing issues.
"The failure to have adequate border protection. It's been a disgrace in this country. Donald has identified it. The loss of jobs, going to other countries because our tax structure is wacky, the loss of world prestige," D'Amato said.
"The Iranian deal in which we sell out Israel and jeopardize the stability in the Middle East by giving the Iranians $150 billion making possible for international dollars to flow in and out? What have they done? Have they modified themselves? No. They're still out there starting up troubles and financing the most viscous Islamic terrorists
"We got nothing but a slap in the face. The two people who have identified this are Cruz and Trump and if you would deny both of them the nomination, I think that you would be giving the Democrats a victory of overwhelming proportions."
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