Here in Cleveland, Wednesday marked the third day of the Republican National Convention. Indiana Governor Mike Pence formally accepted the nomination to be Trump’s running mate.
Gov. Mike Pence: “I am deeply humbled by your confidence. And on behalf of my family, here and gone, I accept your nomination to run and serve as vice president of the United States of America.”
But The New York Times is reporting Donald Trump actually wanted Ohio Governor John Kasich to be his running mate—and that Kasich declined. According to The New York Times, Donald Trump’s son called Kasich’s adviser asking if the governor wanted to be “the most powerful vice president in history,” and promising Kasich would be in charge of both domestic and foreign policy. Donald Trump’s son reportedly said that his father’s role, as president, would be simply “making America great again.” Trump’s campaign disputes this account and denies it wanted Kasich over Pence. Ohio Governor Kasich has not come to the convention, even though it’s being held in his own state and he’s been in Cleveland this week. Ultimately, the Trump campaign ended up picking Pence. Last night, during his speech, Governor Pence spoke about U.S. foreign policy, saying Donald Trump would “stand with our allies.”
Gov. Mike Pence: “We cannot have four more years apologizing to our enemies and abandoning our friends. America needs to be strong for the world to be safe. And on the world stage, Donald Trump will lead from strength. Donald Trump will rebuild our military and stand with our allies.”
But Donald Trump directly contradicted Pence during an interview with The New York Times Wednesday. Trump said he would break with long-standing U.S. foreign policy by not automatically defending NATO allies from attacks. Instead, Trump says, he’d only help NATO allies if they “have fulfilled their obligations to us.” We’ll have more on Indiana Governor Mike Pence—the man who may become the most powerful vice president in history—after headlines.