Trump Turns Sights To General Election Amid Calls To Unite Party
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Donald Trump, as the Republican Party's presumptive presidential nominee, has the "opportunity and the obligation'' to unite the GOP.
Trump is now the last person standing in a crowded Republican field after John Kasich pulled out of the race Wednesday, a day after rival Ted Cruz did so following Trump's primary win in Indiana.
In a statement, McConnell said he committed to supporting the nominee chosen by Republican voters and noted that Trump is on the verge of clinching that nomination. But McConnell's statement was hardly a full-throated endorsement.
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The Kentucky Republican says his party is committed to "restoring economic and national security'' and preventing what he characterized as a "third term of Barack Obama'' if Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton wins the White House.
He said Trump now must unite the party around "our goals.''
Meanwhile, Trump said he's setting up a vice presidential vetting committee "very soon'' that could include some of his former running mates.
In an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer Wednesday, Trump said that he has yet to begin to seriously consider his potential running mates, but said he may put Ben Carson and Chris Christie on the committee.
Trump also said he's willing to consider Kasich as a running mate, but added that even as governor, Kasich would be "helpful'' with swinging Ohio into Trump's column on Election Day.
In an interview with Fox News's "The O'Reilly Factor,'' Trump also said he'd consider naming former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani secretary of homeland security, Christie attorney general and Carson secretary of health and human services.
He said he has not made final decisions, "but certainly they would three very wise choices.''
Trump now has his sights fully set on defeating Clinton in the general election.
"If she wants to go the low road, I'm fine with that and if she wants to go the high road - which I probably prefer - I would be fine with that," Trump said. "We know where the noise would be coming from."
Clinton says it's time to get serious. She said Trump has yet to detail his policies and has divided the country with a campaign that is "insulting people."
"The man is the presumptive nominee and being a loose cannon doesn't in any way protect him, I hope, from being asked the hard questions he should have been asked throughout the whole primary process," she said.
But while Trump can now focus on the general election, Clinton still faces a challenge for the Democratic nomination from rival Bernie Sanders.
He won his 18th victory Tuesday night in Indiana and vows to stay in the race until the convention.
"Absolutely, I have made that commitment, we're in it until the last vote is cast," he said.
All three remaining candidates have New York roots, putting the Empire State front and center in this historic campaign.
"New York has not had an easy time getting people into the presidency in recent years," said Dr. David Birdsell, dean of Baruch College School of Public Affairs. "Franklin Roosevelt was our last occupant, but it looks like this year we'll have better luck."
Sanders campaigns in West Virginia Thursday while Clinton will be in California.
(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
