Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina on Thursday dismissed the notion that Sen. Ted Cruz announced her as his running mate Wednesday to grab attention, saying Mr. Cruz doesn’t do anything in a rush or a panic.
“Look, anyone who knows Ted Cruz knows that he is a thoughtful, deliberative man,” Mrs. Fiorina said on CNN’s “New Day.” “He doesn’t do anything in a rush, and he doesn’t do anything in a panic.”
“And so this process has been going on within his team, the vetting process conversations, for quite a long time,” said Mrs. Fiorina, a former 2016 GOP presidential candidate.
The announcement came a day after Republican front-runner Donald Trump scored decisive wins in five states to put him closer to clinching the party’s nomination before the GOP convention in July.
“Everything about this election has been unprecedented,” Mrs. Fiorina said. “So wow — could anybody have predicted the election this cycle? No, I don’t think so, and many predictions have been wrong.”
Mr. Trump mocked the move at a rally in Indiana Wednesday.
“Cruz can’t win. What’s he doing picking vice presidents?” Mr. Trump said. “He has set a record, though. He is the first presidential candidate in the history of this country who’s mathematically eliminated from becoming president who chose a vice presidential candidate, OK? It’s a record.”
The campaign of Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who is well back of both Mr. Trump and Mr. Cruz in the delegate count, didn’t appear overly concerned about the move.
“Carly Fiorina ran an honorable campaign, but most Republicans will meet this decision with a collective shrug,” said Kasich campaign spokesman Mike Schrimpf.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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