Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Ohio Gov. Kasich: It's “A Matter of Conscience.”

Ohio Gov. Kasich: It's “A Matter of Conscience.”
Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a Republican presidential hopeful, speaks during a campaign stop at Finn’s Brick Oven in Mount Pleasant, S.C., Feb. 10, 2016. The Ohio governor savored his come-from-behind finish on Tuesday, but the road ahead for his presidential campaign remains arduous and uphill. (Stephen B. Morton/The New York Times)

[DIGEST: Huffington Post, MSNBC]

In an interview, Ohio Gov. John Kasich called his reluctance to back Donald Trump “something that’s a matter of conscience for me.” Kasich, who declined to speak at the Republican National Convention, insisted that the billionaire businessman’s divisive rhetoric beat out his own unsuccessful presidential campaign, which he had once hoped would “raise the bar” and prevent an already fractured party from dividing further. “The things that I said during the campaign matter deeply to me, and we are just two, you know, in a way of speaking, two different companies, different visions, different culture, different directions,” he said. “I just felt this was the right thing to do. I’m not here to disrupt. I’m not here to criticize. I’m just here because I’m standing on the things that I believe are best for the country.”


Kasich lambasted Trump further, reiterating his concerns over Trump’s anti-immigration stance and his policy proposals. “I don’t believe we can be anti-immigration. I don’t think we want to deport 11.5 million people,” he said. “I don’t think we can say entitlements don’t matter. Our country is not going broke. We shouldn’t shut down all of this trade. Those are very bad policies. I don’t think they help our country.”

Credit: Source.

Kasich’s criticisms mirrored comments he made at a U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce session Tuesday evening. “I look at trade like I look at immigration, like I look at growing nationalism, like I look at isolationism,” Kasich said. “When you isolate, when you have excessive nationalism, when you’re anti-trade and anti-immigration, what good comes from that? What is that a formula for?” He also expressed similar sentiments while speaking to foreign policy experts at a forum sponsored by the International Republican Institute. “We all love our countries, but you know what doing nationalism to an extreme amount can mean,” Kasich said, referring to the speakers who took the stage on the RNC’s first night, many of whom shared their anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant beliefs openly.

Knowledge of public policy is not generally seen as one of Trump’s strong suits, and there is evidence to suggest his team reached out to John Kasich to offer him the vice presidency,

an appeal to someone with the knowledge and experience he lacks. According to reports, Donald Trump Jr. reached out to Kasich in May, one month before Kasich attempted to coordinate with his rival, Sen. Ted Cruz, to potentially deny Trump the presidential nomination. An adviser to Kasich, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity, confirmed that Trump Jr. made the offer, which, had Kasich accepted, would have placed him in charge of both domestic and foreign policy. When the advisor asked what Trump himself would be in charge of, Trump Jr.’s response was rather matter-of-fact: “Making America Great Again.”

Credit: Source.

Also in May, Paul Manafort, Trump’s campaign chairman, commented on the search for a running mate: “He needs an experienced person to do the part of the job he doesn’t want to do,” Manafort said at the time. “He seems [sic] himself more as the chairman of the board, than even the CEO, let alone the COO.” Trump has insisted that Indiana Gov. Mike Pence was always his first choice, but this recent news suggests that the feud between Kasich and Trump is far more personal, particularly when Kasich could have provided Trump more credibility on the GOP ticket.

More from People/donald-trump

Donald Trump holding World Cup
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Trump Makes Eyeroll-Worthy Request After Getting To Hold 2026 World Cup Trophy—And It's Peak Trump

President Donald Trump was a little too eager to keep the FIFA World Cup trophy to himself after being allowed to hold it in the White House.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino presented Trump with the trophy during an Oval Office press conference Friday, where the two also announced that the draw for the 2026 World Cup—to be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico—will take place on December 5.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Trump Just Said The Quiet Part Out Loud About His Militarization Of U.S. Cities With Remark About 'Dictators'

President Donald Trump was criticized for a brazen claim that Americans would actually "like a dictator" before assuring reporters that he's not one in an attempt to justify his use of military troops as part of his nationwide crime crackdown that saw him most recently put boots on the ground in Washington, D.C.

Trump—who is currently planning to send troops into Chicago—said:

Keep ReadingShow less
Nancy Mace
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Nancy Mace Blasted After Falsely Accusing Student With Umbrella Of Being Active School Shooter

South Carolina Republican Representative Nancy Mace was harshly criticized for not issuing an apology after spreading the image of an "active shooter" on the campus of the University of South Carolina in Columbia who turned out to be holding an umbrella.

The university lifted a shelter-in-place order Sunday after police found no evidence to support reports of an active shooter near the campus library.

Keep ReadingShow less
Gavin Newsom; Ron DeSantis
Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images; Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Newsom Bluntly Fact-Checks DeSantis After He Blames Biden For 'Shortchanging' Florida In Last Census

After Florida Governor Ron DeSantis told Fox News that former President Joe Biden "shortchanged" his state in the 2020 census, California Governor Gavin Newsom bluntly—and awkwardly—fact-checked him.

A few days ago, DeSantis "announced his support for an update to the 2020 Decennial Census, which could potentially yield additional congressional seats for Florida," per an official press release. His announcement was a response to a redistricting effort in California, which itself is a response to GOP-led gerrymandering in Texas backed by President Donald Trump.

Keep ReadingShow less
Picture of a traditional, American house. It is white with red trim and a green roof.
Photo by Scott Webb on Unsplash

People Divulge The Common Things That Were Banned At Home While Growing Up

When growing up with our parents, it's all about following the rules.

The House Rules, specifically, their rules!

Keep ReadingShow less