Rudy Giuliani said Tuesday that not only should Donald Trump be the Republican nominee if he gets close to the required 1,237 delegates but the party should “give” him what he needs to make up the difference.
The former New York mayor told Fox News Tuesday that if Trump is 20-30 delegates short of the requisite number to lock up the nomination, the Republican National Committee and others should “make a deal” with Trump and “give” him the extra votes to lock up the nomination, saying that it’s the only way Republicans could prepare to beat Hillary Clinton in November.
“Yes, absolutely right,” Giuliani said when asked if the RNC should change the rules if Trump is short of the 1,237 marker to let him win. “Or, if not change the rules, make a deal and give him the extra 20-30 votes that he needs in order to get over the top. Have Cruz step back, Kasich step back and give him the extra 20-30 because if you don’t you’re going against the will of 65 percent of the Republican Party, maybe 70 percent of the Republican Party.”
“If they want to win the presidency, they got to elect the guy who’s got the most votes of anybody during the Republican primary,” he continued. “A Trump/Kasich ticket could win this election.”
Earlier Tuesday, the former presidential candidate also formally endorsed the real estate mogul, but kept himself at an arm’s length from the candidate saying he’s not in any way part of his campaign. Giuliani did so when pressed by CNN’s Chris Cuomo over his support for the GOP front-runner.
“It doesn’t make sense to me that you are going to vote for Trump but you won’t endorse him,” Chris Cuomo told Giuliani.
“OK, so I’ll endorse him,” Giuliani said. “But I’m not part of the campaign.”
“But what’s the difference? That’s what I don’t understand,” Cuomo pressed further. “Why don’t you say ‘I’m Rudy Giuliani, I mean a lot in New York politics, I endorse Donald Trump?'”
“I’m Rudy Giuliani, I mean a lot in New York politics, I endorse Donald Trump,” Giuliani responded, adding, “but I’m not part of the campaign.”
