'This Week' Transcript: John Kasich, Bernie Sanders, and Reince Priebus

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT FOR 'THIS WEEK' ON April 3, 2016 and it will be updated.

JOHN KASICH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, George, I hope they do repeal Roe v. Wade and then, you know, it will be up to the states to decide how they want to proceed. It’ll be up to them to figure out what they want to do and that’s precisely what we would do.

STEPHANOPOULOS: But you said there are legitimate and constitutional restrictions that could be put on abortion – what are they?

KASICH: Well, George, you know, when you say constitutional restrictions or whatever. What I have to tell you is, I’ve been--

STEPHANOPOULOS: (CROSSTALK) Those are your words.

KASICH: Yeah, well, I don’t know when I said it or why I said that, in particular. Probably out of context, but look, I mean I am opposed to abortion, except in the case of rape, incest and life of the mother. I hope Roe v. Wade will be repealed and then it will be turned the states and the states will have to figure out exactly what the restriction ought to be. Period. End of story.

STEPHANOPOULOS: So but if you believe that abortion is taking of innocent life, how do you enforce a ban on that activity?

KASICH: Well that will be up to states to figure out what they want to do and obviously, when we have seen these comments that have come out earlier this week. It’s the first time I’ve seen the pro-life and the pro-choice people come together to say, you know, that we’ll have to we’ll have to basically work this out and trying to punish a women would not be the appropriate way to behave. And I think it’s going to take people working in a reasonable way working through it.

STEPHANOPOULOS: But why isn’t it appropriate? If you believe that abortion is the taking of innocent, why shouldn’t a women who makes the choice to take that life face some kind of punishment or sanction?

KASICH: Because I think it’s difficult on her to begin with. That’s the way I feel about it, George. And that’s the end of it.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Even if it follows that it is—that a women is there making the choice to take a life?

KASICH: Look, I’ve said what I have to say about the subject, George. You know how I have behaved, both as a legislator and as a governor and I would like to have those exceptions. I would like to leave it to those exceptions. And it will be up to the states to decide how they want to handle this.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Do you believe doctors who perform abortions should be punished?

KASICH: We’re going to leave this up to the states to work this out the way they want to, George.

STEPHANOPOULOS: So you’re not going to take any position on doctors facing punishment?

KASICH: Right now-- Let me just put it to you this way: I’m not. Today, I’m not. I’ve just told you how I feel about it. Repeal Roe v. Wade, make exceptions for rape, incest, and life of the mother, turn it back to the states for them to decide what they do. We would, you know, ultimately have a policy. It has to be something that can gain acceptance as something that’s reasonable and we’ll go from there.

STEPHANOPOULOS: So if you’re still Governor of Ohio, what would you seek to do?

KASICH: Work with the legislature to figure out what is a good consensus to do. In Ohio, we have made sure that we have transfer agreements. These are things that I’ve done, and I’ve been very careful about making sure that we don’t pass something that’s going to cause a constitutional conflict, which I think is what you were referring to, so that the restrictions that we’ve put in place are going to be fine. And I think we’ve behaved there and conducted ourselves appropriately.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Let me move on to the situation in Wisconsin. You’ve been facing some ads run by a super PAC supporting Ted Cruz.

KASICH: (CROSSTALK) Ha. Amazing.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Here’s what they’re saying.

(TRUSTED LEADERSHIP PAC’S “KASICH WON’T PLAY” AD PLAYS)

What do you make of that?

KASICH: I think it’s funny. Look, George, you know politics, you’ve been it. You’ve been—You’re very smart strategist. It’s what you put up with in a campaign and of course that distorts virtually everything. And in fact, the Wall Street Journal, in an editorial the other day, said it was actually a smear. But you know, look, I’ve spoken out. I’ve said what I want to say, but frankly, I’m interested in talking about my record of job growth, of creating security for people in the workplace, getting better wages and making sure our kids have a better future and a better tomorrow. And that’s where I’m going to live. You know, I’ve had some pretty strong things to say a couple of days ago in regard to Trump and some in regard to Cruz, but I don’t live in that lane. I live in a different place because I have a record of accomplishment. You know interesting in Wisconsin, you know that they did a survey the other and 38 percent of the people in Wisconsin have no opinion of me. They still have not heard much about me, which shows that we have so much room to grow and we’re concentrated in those areas where we think we can do well. And we’re very excited about heading to New York, where I’ve learned not to eat pizza with a fork and we’re running first or second in virtually all the congressional districts. And we’re virtually tied with Donald Trump in Pennsylvania. We’re starting to get to more home turf for me.

STEPHANOPOULOS: You still have won only one state, however it is. You know, under the current rules of the current rules of the Republican National Committee, your only hope is to get to a contested convention, but under the current rules, you wouldn’t even be eligible for the nomination because you’d have to pick up a majority of delegates in eight states. It doesn’t appear that you’re going to be able to that. How do you intend to get that rule changed?

KASICH: Well, first of all, George, I’m not going to spend time on process. I have some of the best process people, you know, whether it’s John Weaver or Charlie Black or Stew Spencer. But there are no rules governing the next convention. The rules have not been set. And we’ll see what the rules committee decides to do. But I expect that we’re going to be gaining momentum, picking up delegates and heading into the convention. And, George, look, the strongest-- There’s two strong things I have going for me. Number one, I beat Hillary Clinton in virtually every poll. I’m the only one that does it on the Republican side. And secondly, when they look at the record—when the look at the record of job growth, the record of international foreign policy knowledge and experience, I believe that a convention will look at somebody like me and that’s why I think I’m going to be the nominee. We just have to keep going and we’re going to have an open convention. And, George, you’re the guy that gets open conventions. It’s going to be so much fun. Kids will spend less time focusing on Bieber and Kardashian and more time focusing on how we elect presidents. It will be so cool.

STEPHANOPOULOS: I thought you liked Justin Bieber. But you say it’s going to fun but we just heard from Roger Stone, an ally of Donald Trump, who says they’re going to be organizing what he calls “Days of Rage” protests to prevent the convention from stealing the nomination from Donald Trump. Are you worried about what could be a violent protest or days of great unrest in your home state?

KASICH: Well, George, you know look, we prepare for all occasions, but let me also tell you, I went to a convention in 1976 as a young man, actually worked directly with Governor Reagan at the time. And when delegates go to a convention, they’re old hand. Some of them are legislators. Some of them have worked in the vineyards helping people to get elected. And when they go into the convention, something magical happens to them. They begin to feel the real weight in regard to decision-making in regard to who wins in the fall and, secondly, this one’s serious, who could be president. Because they begin to realize that they are going to be held accountable and they are going to be responsible for making sure we pick somebody who can be commander in chief, leader of the free world, and can beat Hillary Clinton in the fall. And I’m the only one that consistently does it.

STEPHANOPOULOS: I think we’re hearing the pitch you’re going to make at the convention if you get there. Governor Kasich, thanks for joining us this morning.

KASICH: I’m going to get there, George. We’ll go together, and I’ll be running and you’ll be reporting. We’ll be there.

STEPHANOPOULOS: I’ll see you there.

KASICH: Alright, sir.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, ABC HOST: And let’s get more on this now from the chair of the Republican National Committee, Reince Priebus.

Mr. Priebus, thanks for joining us again this morning. You just heard John Kasich there saying --

REINCE PRIEBUS, CHAIR, RNC: Thank you.

STEPHANOPOULOS: -- the convention, the contested convention, would be magical. But I wonder what you make of this call from Roger Stone, an ally of Donald Trump, putting out a call for days of rage protest in Cleveland?

PRIEBUS: Well, you know, nothing can get stolen from anyone. We have rules in place that if someone -- if a candidate gets to 1,237 delegates, those delegates are bound. They -- and they will vote that way on the floor, and if they don’t vote that way on the floor, which they will, but if they don’t, the secretary will read the vote as if they were bound regardless.

So this -- we will know where everyone stands on delegates on June 8, after the June 7thd primaries. No will be no mystery over who has the majority, or if someone doesn’t, whether it’s going to be an open convention. If it’s an open convention, then we’re going to have be clear, open, and transparent on what the rules say and how they’re administer, and it will be very clear, and there will be a camera -- cameras -- at every step of the way.

So there will be no mystery.

STEPHANOPOULOS: No mystery, but what about the rules? You just heard me talk to John Kasich about that rule 40(b), that in the last convention required a candidate to have won the majority of delegates in eight states. Will that be the rule for this convention?

PRIEBUS: Well, I mean, look, even if it is the rule, it wouldn’t prevent a nomination later on in the process when -- when delegates are unbound. So I mean the fact is there’s a lot of people interpreting rules that really don’t understand the rules. The eight state rule was put in place after the 2012 Romney delegates changed it, so it is true that the 2016 rules committee will review the rules and they will decide on what the rules are for the 2016 convention.

That all being said, you know, major changes to the rules are very -- are not very common. So I think you have to look at both the history of rule-making --

STEPHANOPOULOS: But let me interrupt you right there --

PRIEBUS: -- and the fact -- sure.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Is it fair to say, though, that after a first ballot, there really are no rules? The delegates to the convention decide whatever they want to decide? If you’ve got a majority in the convention, they can create any rule they want to create? They can nominate they want to nominate?

PRIEBUS: Generally, everyone is bound on the first ballot. In some states, they’re bound on a couple votes. But you’re right that on the second or third ballot, more and more delegates are unbound and they can vote for who they want. Now, you still would have to get a certain amount of states and delegates in place in order to be nominated, and so that’s important. You can’t just have one person you there nominating a candidate, but generally your premise is correct. But there are rules in place to prevent, you know, 50 people getting nominated. You have to demonstrate a certain amount of support in a certain amount of states in order to get nominated.

That all being said, all of this goes away if a candidate gets 1,237 delegates before Cleveland. And right now Ted Cruz and Donald Trump, they have a possibility of getting to that number and all of this is put to bed. If it’s not to put to bed, George, then we’re going to have an open convention and it’s going to be administered properly and we’re going to have a vote. We’re going to have a multi-ballot convention.

STEPHANOPOULOS: That pledge you got all the candidates to sign to back whoever got the nomination seems to be falling apart. Donald Trump said this week he’s not bound by it, and he told Chris Wallace of Fox News that he’s still open to running an independent bid.

Now that he says he’s not longer by bound the pledge, what are the consequences from the Republican National Committee?

PRIEBUS: Well, look, I mean, we expect that when candidates make commitments to the principles and values of our party that they would keep it. Yes, if they don’t (INAUDIBLE).

STEPHANOPOULOS: But he’s not.

PRIEBUS: But I don’t -- (INAUDIBLE), listen, I think candidates are also posturing. I think they’re posturing for the possibility of an open convention. I think some candidates think that, you know, there’s leverage to be had over making these kinds of statements. There’s no leverage over us. We’re going to administer the convention the same way. And if the candidate can get to a majority on their own, then they’re going to be nominee, but no amount of leverage and statements are going to change it.

The second thing, George, is that these -- these statement -- this -- of loyalty is in exchange for data and resources from the RNC. This is not like some sort of magical that we were running around with. It’s the same commitment, George, that candidates make in 2012. It’s the same commitment that candidates made in 2016.

If you want the resources of the RNC, a whole -- $100 million worth of data --

(CROSSTALK)

STEPHANOPOULOS: So are those resources (INAUDIBLE) to Donald Trump right now because he’s not backing the --

PRIEBUS: Listen, we’re not -- I’m not making that statement. I had a very good meeting with Donald Trump and I had a good conversation yesterday with Ted Cruz, and I’ll meet with John Kasich’s people next week. I think some of this is posturing, George. And I think after talking about this subject continually for the last eight months, I would think that people in the news media would understand that it’s posturing as well.

STEPHANOPOULOS: It’s posturing but words have meaning, and he said he’s not bound by the pledge anymore.

PRIEBUS: They do.

STEPHANOPOULOS: At the same time, you know, you see the kind -- Donald Trump’s week this week: battery charge for Corey Lewandowski, that back and forth on abortion, and you add it all up. It seems to be taking a huge toll with women -- 74 percent unfavorable in our latest poll. And Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers, the top woman in the House Republican leadership, says this is hurting the whole party. Is she right?

PRIEBUS: Well, look, I think tone and tenor matter. We’re the party of the open door; we can’t grow by subtracting and dividing and telling people to leave the room. I’ve been saying that for years now.

Certainly tone matters. And I do think that what candidates say matter. But, you know, to your -- to your point earlier about the party and loyalty and all of that, look, these folks are running to be nominee of the Republican Party. And if you -- what you say matters, because the party --

STEPHANOPOULOS: But Donald Trump says he’s open to an independent bid.

PRIEBUS: -- the delegates, and the voters -- right, but -- and those kinds of comments I think have consequences. And so when you make those kinds of comments, and you want people to fall in line for you, it makes it more difficult.

And so I think that candidates get that, and certainly, you know, if you were running for president of the Kiwanis Club or the Boy Scouts and you said you don’t know if you like the Kiwanis or the Boy Scouts, I think that makes your challenge even greater to -- to ultimately win those kinds of posts. It’s not different for the Republican Party.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Reince Priebus, thanks for joining us this morning.

PRIEBUS: You bet.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Bernie Sanders is coming up. IS he about to win again in Wisconsin? What will that mean for the big prize of New York?

Plus more from our powerhouse roundtable and we’re live from Wisconsin. Next.

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