America Deserves Better Than Donald Trump, Former Republican Governor Says
A former Republican governor and onetime rival to Donald Trump is blasting the president after the release of special counsel Robert Mueller’s report, saying “America deserves better” than Trump and the behavior he reportedly displayed.
Former Ohio Governor John Kasich came out against the president after the report outlines a series of actions he took in attempts to thwart the investigation. Mueller fell short of recommending charges against Donald Trump, saying it is up to Congress whether he should face legal consequences for obstruction of justice.
Kasich, who lost to Trump in the 2016 Republican primary, took to Twitter to show his disappointment with Trump’s behavior.
“[Donald Trump’s] behavior described in the [Mueller report] is more than disappointing,” Kasich wrote. “It’s unacceptable & not behavior we should expect from our president. It’s worse than I’ve seen in my career observing & working with presidents or public officials. America deserves better.”
Kasich is one of a number of Republicans to speak out against the president after the report’s release. Mitt Romney, who has been one of the loudest critics of Trump on the right, called out the president for the 10 incidents described in the report in which Trump reportedly tried to obstruct the investigation.
“I am sickened at the extent and pervasiveness of dishonesty and misdirection by individuals in the highest office of the land, including the President,” Romney said in a statement posted to Twitter.
The Mueller report noted that some top White House officials may have saved Trump from facing charges on obstruction of justice by ignoring direct orders from the president. That included White House counsel Don McGahn, who, according to the report, refused to pass along an order to have Mueller fired.
As Politico reported, Trump has moved to take action against McGahn, who had since left the White House. The report noted that Trump has cut ties with Jones Day, the law firm that has represented his campaign since he first announced a run for president. McGahn is a partner at the firm. Some White House sources said that the decision stemmed in part from Trump’s anger toward McGahn, who Trump believes leaked information to reporters.
First poll conducted after the redacted Mueller report came out shows Trump's approval falling to 37%, the lowest level of 2019 – and down from 43% in March after the now infamous and then-misreported Barr letter. https://t.co/nhDfM3CBa0
— Amy Siskind ???? (@Amy_Siskind) April 20, 2019
Even before his criticism of Trump this weekend, John Kasich had floated the idea of running against the president in a 2020 Republican primary. Trump is already facing a challenge from former Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld, who announced that he is running for the party’s nomination.
