Following President Donald Trump’s prime-time address to the nation Tuesday, Gov. John Kasich (R-OH) issued a blistering rebuttal of the president over his handling of the current government shutdown. Though he was also critical of Democrats and Republicans, he specifically stated the problem was the result of a lack of “leadership.”
The President needs to put the country ahead of politics. pic.twitter.com/ZyXZilJdfs
— John Kasich (@JohnKasich) January 9, 2019
Kasich began by noting:
The President and the Democrats need to learn how to compromise and put the American people first. It starts with the President putting the country ahead of his politics and being more flexible with his goals.
The majority of media outlets have interpreted these comments as a direct attack on Trump. Though Kasich does go on to reaffirm his commitment to having “a secure border,” he ends his statement by saying that “our country needs real leadership to solve our problems. Right now it doesn’t look like that leadership exists in Washington, DC.”
The president’s Tuesday night address was a brief and direct appeal to the American people to support his effort to secure funding for a border wall. He outlined the many lives that have been affected by illegal border crossings, and stated that it was primarily minorities and the poor who would be affected by unchecked immigration.
Many DC insiders predicted the president would declare a National State of Emergency and secure funds for the wall through this process. Though Trump undoubtedly considers the issues on the border a “crisis,” he declined to take this approach as its legality, in this context, has been called into question by many legal experts.
Kasich has been an outspoken critic of the president since his 2016 presidential campaign. Over the course of the Republican primaries, Kasich was perceived as the counter-point to Trump’s more aggressive presidential tone. The New York Times Editorial Board endorsed him for the Republican nomination and so did many other prominent Democrats and moderates.
Kasich has made it clear that he is interested in challenging Trump for the 2020 Republican nomination. Many of his former advisers have formed various political organizations to enhance his support and assess his viability as a candidate. He has yet to announce a formal candidacy.
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Andrew Shirley is a reporter at Battleground State News and The Ohio Star. Send tips to [email protected].
Photo “John Kasich” by IVN News. CC BYÂ 2.0.
Photo “Donald Trump” by Gage Skidmore. CC BYÂ 3.0.
Background Photo “White House” by Martin Falbisoner. CC BY-SA 3.0.
I have no idea what happened to the genuine conservative I met when Newt was speaker. He’s changed and not for the better. I just finished e-mailing the most weak-kneed senators including Alexander about standing strong with Trump!
So a Democrat pretending to be a Republican does not like TRUMP. WHO CARES