John Kasich Is Not Running Again – “I’ve Given It My Best”

John Kasich, the Ohio Governor who was once Donald Trump’s competitor in the 2016 Presidential election but has since dropped out, is now being recruited to jump back in head first either as Trump’s running mate or as a third-party candidate. Multiple members of the Republican Party have been strongly encouraging Kasich to dive back into the race to the White House.

“Look, if you saw the people that have contacted me, and want me to run as a third-party candidate or the number of people that have come to me and say they want, you know – ‘Would you run with Donald Trump?’ – I mean, you would be shocked,” the Ohio Governor said during an interview with MSNBC. “And, the answer to that is no. I’ve given it my best.”

Two months ago, Kasich dropped out of the race. He appears content with his decision and has absolutely no interest in returning to the cut-throat competition. He has publicly noted how many different people – including the 2008 Republican Candidate Mitt Romney – have approached him and asked him to return. Kasich has continually insisted that he has a job to do in Ohio, and he will stick to it. He has no plan to be a “spoiler” at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland this July, despite the fact that Trump’s poll numbers are consistently dropping.

“… I won’t be involved in it,” he said. “I’m not going there to disrupt. I gave it my best, I didn’t win, I have no regrets about the way I conducted myself, and I’m not interested in being a spoiler.”

Kasich is one of the biggest members of the GOP that refuses to fall in line and give his support to Trump. He claims to have hopes that Trump’s strategies and policies will change as long as the public doesn’t agree with them. Trump himself pressured the Ohio Governor via Twitter to either “get on board” or leave the Republican Party, and went so far as to comically bring up the fact that Kasich signed a pledge to support Trump last summer.

In response, all Kasich has to say was “It’s painful.” When asked to digress, he said, “People even get divorces, you know? Sometimes things come about that, look, ‘I’m sorry this has happened, but we’ll see where it ends up.’ … at this point I just can’t do it.”

John Kasich will surely be in attendance at the Republican National Convention next month, yet no one is sure what role he will play at the event. He remains a prominent figure in the GOP, despite his not running for president, and rumors are floating of a possible campaign in 2020. Though he will not enter the White House this January, there is no doubt that the American population has seen the last of Ohio Governor John Kasich.

Featured Image via Associated Press/Charles Rex Arbogast