John Kasich: "Zero chance" I'd agree to be Donald Trump's running mate
John Kasich on Tuesday there's "zero chance" he would agree to be Donald Trump's running mate if he wins the Republican nomination.
In an interview on "CBS This Morning," the Ohio governor and presidential candidate was asked if that would give the GOP the best chance to win in November.
"Zero chance," he reiterated. "Look, I am running for president of the U.S. and that's it. If I'm not president -- which I think I have an excellent shot to be -- I will finish my term as governor and maybe I will be a co-host on your show. You never know."
In an interview for a USA Today column published Monday, Trump named Kasich as one of several people he likes when asked whether Marco Rubio would be a potential vice presidential pick.
Kasich, however, remains confident Tuesday that none of the candidates, including Trump, would win the GOP nomination on the first ballot at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland this July. He has been hoping for a contested convention for months because he thinks it's his best shot at winning.
On CBS, he rejected the idea that he's under pressure to drop out and he took a swipe at GOP officials, saying "the party leaders haven't been doing so great here over the last few years."
Asked to elaborate, Kasich said Republicans have not been good at proposing ideas and said that "the party has a tendency to be against things more than being for things."
He also touched on a speech that he would deliver later Tuesday morning about the two paths he sees for the electorate in 2016 -- one is the path to darkness. Kasich said Trump and Ted Cruz would lead the country down that dark path.
"On one hand, you're targeting Muslim neighborhoods, but secondly you're deporting 11.5 million people...or you're making crazy promises that are not gonna be fulfilled," Kasich said on CBS.
He also weighed in on speculation that delegates would consider Speaker Paul Ryan for the nomination -- a scenario the Wisconsin Republican has adamantly rejected.
"It's hard to say who the delegates are gonna look at. It's kind of up to the delegates. I think a wide, open convention is something that is good for the party and it allows people to determine who it is that can unite the country," Kasich said.
According to CBS News' latest count, Trump has 743 delegates, Cruz has 540 and Kasich has 143. Kasich hasn't picked up any additional delegates for several weeks.