Former Vice President Dan Quayle is interviewed by Maria Bartiromo during her "Opening Bell With Maria Bartiromo" program on the Fox Business Network, in New York. | AP Photo Quayle: Trump 'more qualified' than Clinton

Hillary Clinton may be a more qualified presidential candidate than Donald Trump "on paper," former Vice President Dan Quayle said Thursday. But Trump is more qualified in another respect, the Indiana Republican suggested.

"He's more qualified in the sense that the American people, I think, want an outsider," Quayle said in an interview with NBC's "Today," remarking that he would support him as the Republican Party's nominee. "And they want an outsider this time. She's not an outsider, so if you're looking for an outsider, no, she's not qualified, and he is."


Quayle, who served in the House and Senate before serving as President George H.W. Bush's vice president from 1989 to 1993, said Trump "knows full well" that the general election is a different operation than the primary in terms of his rhetoric.

Quayle referred to Trump's comment last year that he was approached about being Bush's running mate in 1988, a post that eventually went to the then-senator from Indiana. "He's been around this a long time," Quayle noted.

As far as Trump's refusal to release any tax returns so far, Quayle said he did not think the candidate would release them.

"Every presidential candidate going back decades has done so," "Today" co-host Savannah Guthrie said.

"Let me just give you a little news flash here: This is going to be different. He's a different candidate, gonna be a different campaign, so stay tuned," he replied. "Just remember this: Expect the unexpected."

Asked who he thought Trump's running mate should be, Quayle offered up Ohio Sen. Rob Portman, who has said he is "not interested" in the position.

"Man of stature, substance," Quayle said. "You pick him, you'll say, that's the way he's going to govern. Rob Portman."