Ruddy: 'Delusional, Dangerous' to Deny Trump Nomination in Brokered Convention
Friday, 18 Mar 2016 02:50 PM
Donald Trump may be the likely nominee of the Republican Party, but his opponents have the "definite ability" to stop him from winning the nomination, Newsmax CEO Christopher Ruddy told MSNBC’s "Morning Joe" Friday.
Ruddy also suggested the GOP would be "delusional" to think it should deny him the nomination if he failed to win a majority on the first ballot but held a clear plurality.
"They have to either defeat Donald Trump on the first ballot, or basically coronate him, because the party is already extremely fractured," Ruddy said.
"I believe that the secret meetings, which are apparently taking place in the hopes of maybe a brokered convention and denying Trump that on the first ballot are extremely dangerous and extremely bad for the party, if that happens," Ruddy said.
New York Times columnist Anand Giridharadas argued that while many people are meeting "in this secret hotel ballroom and that secret hotel ballroom," there is a "stunning lack" of people stepping up to either endorse Trump or to fight against Trump.
Ruddy said he thought Giridharadas was incorrect, as he does not believe endorsements matter.
"I think if the institutional power of banks and corporations went against Donald Trump it would actually help him and make him stronger," said Ruddy. "You know, in 1964, 1976, the last time there were divisions in the Republican Party at the conventions, they lost badly in the general election. This is far worse than '64 and '76."
This means, he continued, that there needs to be an understanding that Trump is named the nominee if he gets very close to the 1,237 delegates needed.
Financier Steve Rattner, also on the show's panel, said that it is mathematically difficult for Trump to get that number of delegates, while for Kasich it would be mathematically impossible, and Cruz would need to win 87 percent of the remaining delegates.
Ruddy said he’s wrong, but that Cruz and Kasich would have to join forces early to defeat Trump.
"If you look at all the polls in a head-to-head contest, Ted Cruz beats Donald Trump 10 to 14 points in the most recent polls," Ruddy pointed out. "And Kasich's people think that he's going to win in these blue states, beat Donald Trump and Ted Cruz. [Kasich] will go into a brokered convention and John is going to emerge as sort of the guy to bring the party together," Ruddy said. "I think he's delusional."
Ruddy said insiders are saying Kasich will decide after the Wisconsin primary on April 5 to see if he'll continue or end his bid. Wisconsin is a blue state, so if he succeeds there, the theory is that he could succeed in other blue states.
"He might do a deal with Ted Cruz and then you would have them winning [together]," Ruddy said.
Giridharadas pointed out that Ruddy and Trump are personal friends, and asked if he has faith that the real estate mogul will be less extreme as a nominee or as president than his has been so far.
"Look, there's two Donald Trumps," said Ruddy. One is "incredibly generous, charismatic, smart, kindhearted — and then there's sort of that other Donald Trump we're seeing who is angry and petty and sometimes vindictive, and some people don't even recognize that, even his friends, to the degree he is going in that direction."
Ruddy cited an example of Trump's real persona.
Ruddy said he was speaking recently with former New York City Police Commissioner Bernie Kerik, who told him that after the 9/11 attacks, Trump called to say he was emptying out his buildings and his staffs, sending 500 to 1,000 of his people to Ground Zero to help. Trump even came to the site to help.
Ruddy said when other business owners were thinking about evacuating the city, Trump took the opposite approach.
"There were no press conferences, no photo ops," said Ruddy. "That's the sort of good Donald Trump that we all know. I've chatted with him and said, 'Hey, look, you've got to stop attacking all of the people that you're going to need in the general election.'"
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Ruddy also suggested the GOP would be "delusional" to think it should deny him the nomination if he failed to win a majority on the first ballot but held a clear plurality.
"They have to either defeat Donald Trump on the first ballot, or basically coronate him, because the party is already extremely fractured," Ruddy said.
"I believe that the secret meetings, which are apparently taking place in the hopes of maybe a brokered convention and denying Trump that on the first ballot are extremely dangerous and extremely bad for the party, if that happens," Ruddy said.
Ruddy said he thought Giridharadas was incorrect, as he does not believe endorsements matter.
"I think if the institutional power of banks and corporations went against Donald Trump it would actually help him and make him stronger," said Ruddy. "You know, in 1964, 1976, the last time there were divisions in the Republican Party at the conventions, they lost badly in the general election. This is far worse than '64 and '76."
This means, he continued, that there needs to be an understanding that Trump is named the nominee if he gets very close to the 1,237 delegates needed.
Financier Steve Rattner, also on the show's panel, said that it is mathematically difficult for Trump to get that number of delegates, while for Kasich it would be mathematically impossible, and Cruz would need to win 87 percent of the remaining delegates.
Ruddy said he’s wrong, but that Cruz and Kasich would have to join forces early to defeat Trump.
"If you look at all the polls in a head-to-head contest, Ted Cruz beats Donald Trump 10 to 14 points in the most recent polls," Ruddy pointed out. "And Kasich's people think that he's going to win in these blue states, beat Donald Trump and Ted Cruz. [Kasich] will go into a brokered convention and John is going to emerge as sort of the guy to bring the party together," Ruddy said. "I think he's delusional."
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"He might do a deal with Ted Cruz and then you would have them winning [together]," Ruddy said.
Giridharadas pointed out that Ruddy and Trump are personal friends, and asked if he has faith that the real estate mogul will be less extreme as a nominee or as president than his has been so far.
"Look, there's two Donald Trumps," said Ruddy. One is "incredibly generous, charismatic, smart, kindhearted — and then there's sort of that other Donald Trump we're seeing who is angry and petty and sometimes vindictive, and some people don't even recognize that, even his friends, to the degree he is going in that direction."
Ruddy cited an example of Trump's real persona.
Ruddy said he was speaking recently with former New York City Police Commissioner Bernie Kerik, who told him that after the 9/11 attacks, Trump called to say he was emptying out his buildings and his staffs, sending 500 to 1,000 of his people to Ground Zero to help. Trump even came to the site to help.
"There were no press conferences, no photo ops," said Ruddy. "That's the sort of good Donald Trump that we all know. I've chatted with him and said, 'Hey, look, you've got to stop attacking all of the people that you're going to need in the general election.'"
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