John Kasich Hints At 2020 Presidential Run In Message To Trump
Donald Trump has made comments about who he thinks should run against him in the 2020 Presidential election — and in one case at least, he may get his wish. Ohio Governor John Kasich has already hinted that he may run, and his latest statements make that look like even more of a possibility in 2020.
According to CNN, Donald Trump was recently interviewed by Fox News’ Harris Faulkner about the upcoming election. When it was suggested that John Kasich and Arizona Senator Jeff Flake had both indicated an interest in running against him, Trump was quick to say he hoped they would.
When asked about Trump’s comments on his candidacy, Kasich’s spokesperson John Weaver had a clear and concise response.
“Be careful what you wish for,” he said in a statement.
Kasich and Flake have been among the most high profile of the names thrown out as possible primary opponents of Trump in the 2020 election cycle. While neither has outright confirmed they intend to run, both politicians have been indicating that it’s a strong possibility — and in Kasich’s case, it looks like an official announcement regarding the matter might be on the horizon.
While they’ve both shown interest in pushing back against Trump, the question remains as to whether the Republican Party is ready for an internal struggle like this. According to CNN, Trump’s approval rating with Republicans stands at a solid 84 percent. However, among all voters the number is a more modest 39 percent.
Trump goads John Kasich, Jeff Flake into challenging him in 2020: "I hope" they run https://t.co/67bYQASbvX
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) December 14, 2018
This would not be the first time that Trump and Kasich face off. Back in 2016, Kasich ran for president against Donald Trump in the Republican primary. During the campaign, Kasich only managed to win in his home state of Ohio.
Ultimately, Kasich won 161 delegates, while Trump walked away with 1,447 delegates. Eventually the governor opted to drop out of the race. However, he never endorsed Trump — and has, in fact, been a vocal opponent of Trump ever since.
That being said, Kasich admits that defeating Trump isn’t necessarily going to be an easy task. In an interview with the Associated Press, Kasich said that the current political climate would make winning against Donald Trump a significant challenge.
“If you’re going to run as a Republican you have to have a sense that if you get into primaries you can win. Right now, probably couldn’t win,” he said. “But that’s today. It’s ever changing.”
Kasich has also hinted that he would not be opposed to running as a third party candidate in 2020.
