Ohio gov also says convention boycott was slam at GOP nominee

Gov. John Kasich acknowledged that an aide to Donald Trump called one of the governor's advisers about serving as his vice presidential running mate, but said he was �never interested in being anybody's vice president.�

In an interview Sunday on CNN�s �State of the Union,� Kasich said he personally never spoke to Trump or any of his advisers but said �apparently my aides� received a call. Kasich did not identify his advisers or who called from the Trump campaign.

Campaign strategist John Weaver already has been identified as taking the calls, at least one of which came from Donald Trump Jr.

�I might have agreed to be George Washington's vice president,� Kasich said on the TV show today. �But I got the second best job in the country.�

�So I was never interested in being anybody's vice president,� Kasich said. �Why would I want to be vice (president) -- I'd be the worst vice president. I have too many opinions.�

During the interview, part of which was aired, Kasich depicted his boycott of the Republican National Convention last month in Cleveland as a direct slap at Donald Trump.

�All throughout this (campaign), anybody can say, OK, you know, Trump said this, you say that, why don't you slug him over the head?� the Ohio governor told CNN's Jake Tapper in an interview at the Governor�s Residence in Bexley.

�Look, my actions have spoken louder than any words.�

When asked if meant not endorsing Trump, Kasich replied, �And think about this:I want to know when anybody had a convention in their state, when they were the governor, who didn't go in the convention hall?�

Earlier in the interview, Kasich was asked why he stayed outside.

�I think it's about manners. You know, if I wasn't prepared to go there and get up and endorse a nominee, I just thought it was inappropriate to go into that convention hall.�

Kasich supporters hailed his decision as a smart move after Texas Sen. Ted Cruz was essentially booed off the stage after he spoke at the convention but did not endorse Trump.

Kasich grew emotional during the interview when, in response to a question about Khizr and Ghazala Khan�s appearance at the Democratic National Convention 12 years after their son was killed in Iraq, he described annual meetings with Gold Star parents at the governor�s Statehouse office.

�It's very tough,� Kasich said.

�Usually, there's a picture of their son or their daughter or their mother or their father that's right up there as they come in. I give them a flag and I sit and I talk to them.

�I tell them about the loss of my mother and father in a sudden accident and I said, you know, let's not compare, but what I can tell you is I've seen the black hole. I've had the deep mourning and the pain.�

After Trump went after the Khans, Kasich tweeted that American needs to honor such people.

When it was pointed out that Trump defended his actions by saying he was �viciously attacked� by the Muslim couple, Kasich simply said, �I didn�t see that.�

And Kasich repeated that Trump has a long way to go to get his support.

�I wish that I could be fully enthusiastic. I can't be. So I don't know what's going to happen at the end,� the governor said.

Asked whether Trump could still receive his backing, Kasich said, �There's so much water over the dam now, it's become increasingly difficult. But I want, you know, unifying. I want -- I think I've been pretty clear about it.

�You know, there was a speech I made called "Two Paths." You know, you can either operate on the dark side of the street or you can -- you can operate in the light.

�I believe that America needs people to operate in the light, plain and simple.�