Scott Brown on Fiorina as VP: I don't think it helps at all

Former Massachusetts senator calls Ted Cruz's move 'premature'

This is a rush transcript from "Your World," April 27, 2016. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

NEIL CAVUTO, HOST: All right, now from the Trump camp, Senator Scott Brown, the former senator of course who got -- and will always remain in history taking Ted Kennedy's Senate seat.

All right, now, Senator, does this worry you? Does this development worry you?

SCOTT BROWN, R-MASS., FORMER U.S. SENATOR: It's the worst kept secret inside and outside of Washington, Neil.

Carly, who I have a tremendous amount of respect for, and she would make a great vice president for any of the candidates in a potential great president, I have the utmost respect for her. But, listen, everyone has known for a while that she was going to be the running mate with Senator Cruz, because they have been inseparable over the last couple of months.
And that's great.

I don't think it helps at all, because Ted has no mathematical opportunity to get the nomination.

(CROSSTALK)

CAVUTO: But that isn't his goal, right? He wants to deny Donald Trump getting those 283 delegates he will need.

BROWN: Yes, you referenced it earlier. What is he, 250 away?

CAVUTO: Well, 283.

(CROSSTALK)

BROWN: A lot of states left.

CAVUTO: But who is counting?

BROWN: Yes, I am, and you are and everyone else in America is and throughout the world actually.

So, yes, I don't think that's going to happen, especially the way that it happened last night, getting more than 50 or around 50 percent of women, just getting over that 50, 60 percent threshold. It was a thrashing.

CAVUTO: No, no, you're right. Trump crushed it. He crushed it.

(CROSSTALK)

CAVUTO: Let me ask you, but do you think, Scott -- I don't want to jump, because he is going to speak soon. I want make to sure I get this from you.

BROWN: No. Go, go. No, I know. I appreciate it.

CAVUTO: Do you think, Scott, that it's possible this puts pressure on Donald Trump to name a running mate now as well?

BROWN: No.

CAVUTO: Or close to now?

BROWN: No. No, no, I know he is obviously, like anybody, he is considering a whole host of folks for Cabinet positions, obviously vice presidential candidates and the like.

And he is also doing a lot of good policy work. I thought the speech today was spot on and just what people were looking for. So, yes, there is a lot still happening. There's a lot that's going to happen. But I think this is way premature.

As you referenced, Neil, it's the earliest, what, in the history of our country that this has happened. And it kind of smacks, as did the last agreement with Kasich, of kind of like a Hail Mary pass. But, listen, Hail Mary passes sometimes they work. Look at Doug Flutie and Boston College.
Come on. I love it.

CAVUTO: Yes. Drop the Flutie thing. I know what you're saying.

But, in all seriousness, can I get a sense from you about -- I always have been amazed at how clever Ted Cruz is. No aspersions on anyone else.

BROWN: Oh, he is brilliant.

CAVUTO: But he's very -- just when you think he is down-and-out, he finds a way to claw back, get the momentum.

BROWN: Yes. Yes.

CAVUTO: I noticed yesterday, we were covering this on FOX Business, which, if you don't get, Senator, you should demand, but I digress.

BROWN: I get it. Of course I get it.

CAVUTO: That he immediately -- he made his opening remarks in Indiana.

In other words, that he was going to forget about the night at hand and the bludgeoning to come. And he was going to be focusing on Indiana and giving an early press conference or event before the big event, I thought that was clever. I thought the Kasich thing, say what you will that if it worked, was clever, and this is clever. He seems to be very wily and clever.

(CROSSTALK)

BROWN: Sure. Neil, listen -- Neil, listen, that's politics 101.

Of course, if you're going to get crushed in an area, why would you hang around? He did the same thing in New York when he went to -- where did he go, to Pennsylvania, and look what happened there.

It's politics 101. I don't think it's any advantage whatsoever, because Bobby Knight, who I love Bobby Knight, is endorsing Donald Trump later this afternoon. It's like almost oneupmanship.

(CROSSTALK)

CAVUTO: I guess that beats getting a backing, if you do get a backing, from Governor Pence. Bobby Knight trumps Pence, right?

BROWN: Oh, yes. Oh, please, easy.

And Ted is a brilliant tactician. And he's run really a superior campaign. And I like Ted a lot. But once again, he's 400-plus.

CAVUTO: You're right .

BROWN: The numbers don't work out. He said to Kasich, get out. And now he is not getting out. So it's kind of people are saying, you know what, it's over. Let's move on.

But I'm hopeful at some point we will kind of get together and we will all kind of figure out what the choices are, Hillary or Donald or Bernie. Who knows.

CAVUTO: Speaking of Donald, Senator, I wondered if you talk to him. Because I heard his speech, and the press, and the give-and-take last night, very presidential. He kept referring to Ted Cruz as Senator Cruz.

(CROSSTALK)

BROWN: Yes. Yes.

CAVUTO: He didn't talk about the eating habits of John Kasich. And I know you and I were chatting about that.

And you said, well, and I'm paraphrasing here, Scott, that if you had your druthers, you wouldn't talk like that, and he didn't. Did you talk to him?

BROWN: But we can't pull that off.

I thought that Kasich -- the stuff with Kasich is going to be on "Saturday Night Live." I guarantee you that is going to be on "Saturday Night Live."

And with the senator thing, listen, he is a senator. He has earned that right and that respect. And I think everybody should be treated with dignity and respect.

But we're not Donald Trump. He can say things. He sees these things that, quite frankly, a lot of politicians don't see and he goes right for the jugular.

CAVUTO: No, he's brilliant.

(CROSSTALK)

BROWN: And they happen to stick.

Of course, I, his family, his wife have please, just don't act presidential, just be presidential, and focus on the things that people are talking about, what got you there, which is obviously national and world security, foreign affairs, border security, immigration, ISIS. And those are the things that you're hearing him talk about now.

So I'm thankful for that. I think the pressure has been taken off a little bit after the huge win last night. And I think he is going to win Indiana. And if Ted is putting all his eggs in that basket, if he loses, then he is going to have to make some very, very real and difficult decisions.

CAVUTO: Then he will have to reassess.

I know your views on the whole eating comments. And you're a fin, fit guy, but man, if they ever had a camera watching me at a Ponderosa, game over, game over.

(CROSSTALK)

BROWN: You got to have a sense of humor.

CAVUTO: I do want to pick your brain while I'm here.

BROWN: Yes, fire away.

CAVUTO: You saw Donald Trump's speech.

Already, critics on the left were saying it was very short on specifics. Those on the right say, you know what, he gave a good overview of how he sees the world, make no apologies, America, and a lot of people found that Reaganesque. But what did you think? What was your impression?

BROWN: I thought he set up wonderfully what his thoughts were, the five things that he identified as the real problems, and then contrast it as to how President Obama and Hillary Clinton got us into this mess, and then where we go from here.

(CROSSTALK)

CAVUTO: What did you think of how he did that? Got Obama/Clinton interventionism, Obama/Clinton interventionism. I think he said that a few times.

BROWN: That's normal, absolutely, because it's true.

Libya was Hillary Clinton's idea. And she had no backup strategy. Benghazi, the mistake there. We could go on and on regarding her input and failures when it comes to foreign policy and basically his apology tour as he started out as presidency.

But if you look at the thing that I really, really enjoyed is the fact that he set these things out, and he's talking about America first, and more importantly, he's talking about having our allies pay their fair share. And I have said that right from the beginning.

You know, we shouldn't be the world's like bank here. We have got to get...

(CROSSTALK)

CAVUTO: No, I remember when you were running. I remember when you were running. You were saying that.

But let me ask you that. Obviously, Ted Cruz has taken his moment. That's what you're watching here in Indianapolis. They're showing a film here. And then the two of them are going to get up on the stage, we think, and announce this. Now, watch, we're completely wrong, it's not Carly Fiorina, it's someone else.

But my point is, do you get a sense, Scott, that -- I know you dismissed the idea it puts pressure on Donald Trump to do something maybe before the convention, but let's talk about the type of person he would hook up with, someone who is outside the mainstream, but has a little bit of gravitas because he or she served.

(CROSSTALK)

CAVUTO: And I'm thinking to myself, wait a minute, wait a minute. Scott. I'm talking to him right now.

What do you think?

BROWN: No, no, I'm going to make this really easy.

My choice -- and I have said this to him -- would be Senator John Thune. There is absolutely no one better in my mind than Senator Thune. He is well-respected inside and outside the Beltway. He would carry the entire swathe of the central part of our country.

CAVUTO: So you're saying if he asks you, you're not interested?

BROWN: Yes, no, John would do a greater and better job, absolutely.

CAVUTO: Duly noted. Duly noted. Scott Brown, thank you very much.

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