Trump: Rubio would need to be out before I talk VP possibility

by Jesse Byrnes - 03/09/16 8:36 AM ET

Donald Trump suggested Wednesday that Republican presidential rival Marco Rubio would have to be out of the race before the front-runner would consider him as a possible running mate.

Rubio has insisted he’ll win Florida’s winner-take-all primary next week, though he failed to secure any delegates in four states voting on Tuesday and is polling behind Trump in his home state.

{mosads}”Well I don’t want to say that now,” Trump said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” when asked if he’d consider Rubio on the ticket. “He has a big decision to make, and he should make his own decision.”

“I’ve always liked him, and then he hit me very, very hard and somehow it didn’t work for him,” Trump said as the hosts continued to pepper him about whether he’d consider the Florida senator.

A CNN report this week claimed that some Rubio advisers were counseling him to drop out before the Sunshine State’s primary to avoid a potentially embarassing loss to Trump. Rubio fought back hard, saying the report was a total fabrication.

“If he runs and loses, I think he will never be able to do anything very big politically in Florida. I certainly don’t think he would be considered by anybody as vice president,” Trump said Wednesday.

Co-host Joe Scarborough asked Trump if he’d consider Rubio in an effort to help appeal to Hispanic voters and the establishment should the senator drop out before the March 15 primary.

“Sure, sure. And he’s got a lot of talent. I just don’t want to say that yet, Joe,” Trump said. “It’s just not appropriate to talk about it until he makes a decision.”

Tags 2016 GOP primary 2016 presidential election Donald Trump Marco Rubio