During a Tuesday morning phone interview on NBC’s “Today,” the co-hosts asked Ohio Gov. John Kasich to explain his deal with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) to divide and conquer a few upcoming primaries, given that Kasich on Monday told voters to still support him in Indiana.
However, Kasich would not acknowledge how his comments about the approach voters should take in Indiana — a state reserved for Cruz in the deal — might undermine the candidates’ strategy to stop Donald Trump from clinching the nomination ahead of the Republican convention.
Co-host Savannah Guthrie noted to Kasich that he said on Monday that he never told voters “not to vote for me.” She asked the governor if he will tell Indiana voters to back Cruz if they want to stop Trump.
“I’m not telling anybody anything in Indiana because I’m not campaigning in Indiana,” Kasich replied. “But I don’t tell voters what to do. Voters are smart enough to figure out what they want to do.”
When pressed by Guthrie, Kasich said that his deal with Cruz is simple.
“You guys are the ones that are confused and upset. We’re not,” he said. “The fact of the matter is, I’m going to be going on Thursday to Oregon. Ted Cruz is not going to Oregon. He may be in Indiana. I’m not going to Indiana.”
Guthrie than asked that if Indiana residents still vote for Kasich, “what is the point of this deal?”
“I think you’re having a hard time figuring this out,” Kasich replied.
“I am!” Guthrie said in response.
Kasich again said that while Guthrie may be confused, the Kasich and Cruz campaigns understand the deal.
“We’ll see how it all turns out. I think you’ll understand that when somebody’s not over there campaigning and putting effort in and spending money on television — you know, look, you guys are too hung up on process,” he said.
Co-host Matt Lauer then jumped in to ask Kasich to tell Indiana voters who to vote for in the upcoming Republican presidential primary.
“I’m not getting into that, Matt. Things are not so plain and simple. I don’t tell my voters what to do,” Kasich said in response. “I don’t understand what the big deal is about this.”
Watch the interview via NBC:
