Ohio Gov. John Kasich may be getting out of the presidential race, but he may still find his way onto the Republican general-election ticket.
In a Wednesday CNN interview, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee said that he’d be interested in vetting Kasich as a potential vice-presidential running mate.
“I’d be very interested in vetting John,” Donald Trump said.
“I like John, I’ve had a good relationship with John, I’ve gotten along with him well,” he added.
Trump also asserted that Kasich could be an asset in a general-election matchup against Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton.
“I think John will be very helpful with Ohio, even as a governor,” Trump said.
Kasich is set to suspend his presidential campaign later on Wednesday. But as primary rivals, the relationship between Trump and Kasich hasn’t always been so rosy.
Leading up to Tuesday’s Indiana primary, the real-estate magnate slammed Kasich for his support for the North American Free Trade Agreement. He also extensively mocked the governor’s eating habits.
“Every time you see him, he’s eating,” Trump said at a rally last week. “He’s stuffing his face. I’ve never seen. The pizza. He ate a piece of pizza — I’m telling you, it was 4 or 5 inches long by 4 or 5 inches — and he couldn’t get it in his mouth. And he’s pushing it in with the fork and he’s got 20 cameras around.”
