CLEVELAND — Donald Trump said it’s fine if Ohio Gov. John Kasich doesn’t want to attend the Republican National Convention, saying if he lost as badly as Mr. Kasich did in the GOP primary contest, he wouldn’t show up, either.
“Well look, he signed a pledge, number one, but honestly, he got beaten so badly,” Mr. Trump said in an interview that aired Tuesday on NBC’s “Today” program. “I won, I guess, 37 states, even more than that, and he won one.”
Mr. Kasich’s lone win during the primary season came in his home state of Ohio. The pledge comment is a reference to the Republican presidential candidates’ pledging last year to support the eventual GOP nominee.
“If I got beaten that badly, I wouldn’t show up, either,” Mr. Trump said. “So he doesn’t have to show up. It’s fine.”
Mr. Kasich is holding events in Cleveland throughout the week, but he has not endorsed Mr. Trump and doesn’t have plans to attend the actual convention.
Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort has said this week that Mr. Kasich is “embarrassing” his state.
“He might not be popular after the convention,” Mr. Trump said. “I think it’s fine.”
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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