John Kasich: Trump ‘Not Prepared To Be President’
Gov. John Kasich is known for his genial personality, but recently Donald Trump’s statements and behaviors have caused even Kasich to condemn the New York billionaire. In a campaign statement released this morning, Gov. Kasich claims that Donald Trump is “not prepared” to be President of the United States, a claim that he’s alluded to in the past, but today Kasich is taking the gloves off, blasting Trump’s behavior and politics as “un-presidential.”
“Are you kidding me? How close is his thumb to the trigger? That is not the way you lead the United States, nor the way in which you lead the world,” Gov. John Kasich said, reports the New York Times, commenting on Trump’s earlier statements on nuclear proliferation.
Gov. Kasich has run a fairly positive campaign so far, and has maintained that his tone is aspirational, emphasizing that his rallies are more about making voters feel good, energized, positive about the future. Kasich isn’t a fan of Trump, there’s ample evidence of his opposition to Trump’s policies and persona, but other than a few isolated disagreements, Kasich has kept out of the mud for the most part. But this morning Kasich has had enough, and he’s opening up about his opposition to the Trump political machine.
“The things that are coming out Donald’s mouth are just, they’re just basically irresponsible,” Gov. John Kasich said during an interview with ABC News.
Gov. Kasich broke down his opposition to Trump for ABC News, detailing his belief that the Republican frontrunner is unfit to lead the United States. Kasich also responded to criticisms of his own campaign, which some in the Republican party refer to as a “spoiler” – Kasich doesn’t have a path to the nomination outside of a contested convention, even if he won all of the remaining delegates in the Republican primary race.
.@JohnKasich reacts to Trump's abortion comments: "Of course, women shouldn't be punished" for having an abortion https://t.co/bLyaNPVGoE
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) March 30, 2016
“People say ‘why does he stay in the race,’ what am I supposed to get out and leave it to these guys?” Gov. John Kasich said to ABC News this morning.
John Kasich’s own policies are more moderate than Cruz and Trump’s, but his opposition to Trump goes beyond just policy — Kasich says Trump’s persona and the way he handles himself should illustrate to voters that he’s unfit to be president. Kasich criticized Donald Trump’s impact on the presidential race, and on the reputation of the U.S. abroad.
“People around the world must be having a field day, Trump is lucky Jon Stewart isn’t running the Daily Show,” Kasich commented during his interview with ABC News.
The Ohio governor spoke out against Trump this morning, dismissing the Republican frontrunner’s political stances, in particular Trump’s controversial statements — and reversal of those statements — on abortion. It’s important to note that both Cruz and Kasich are also pro-life, and anti-abortion, but both other candidates have stated that in their view women should not be punished for seeking or receiving abortion procedures.
“It’s like a panoply of mistakes and outrageous statements, you know what it is with Donald? It’s just a stream of consciousness,” Kasich said, criticizing Donald Trump’s abrasive comments and behavior on the campaign trail.
The interview took a lighter tone after Kasich was asked about his controversial use of a fork on famous New York pizza. Kasich dismissed the criticism, stating that the pizza was simply too hot to handle by hand.
“The pizza came scalding hot, so I used a little fork,” Kasich laughed, stating that his wife was proud that he “finally learned to use a utensil properly.”
Kasich addressed the faux-controversy over using a fork to eat pizza, saying that he’s been “eating pizza since before you were born” to ABC News.
[Photo by Andrew Renneisen/Getty Images]
