Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) railed against GOP presidential frontrunner Donald Trump in a news conference Thursday, saying that the real estate mogul wasn’t prepared for the presidency and that his campaign trail rhetoric “frightened” undocumented immigrants.
Kasich has long criticized Trump’s rhetoric in town halls and debates, but took it a step further at his New York City news conference by suggesting that Trump could destroy “civilization as we know it.”
“The vast majority of peoples all across this globe are committed to not only preserving civilization but also restoring civilization,” Kasich said. “At that end, it takes cooperation. It takes restraint. It takes judgment. It takes experience. Not wild-eyed suggestions and basically moving from one suggestion, and then the need to try to explain what you really meant once you realized that the suggestion you made confused people or enraged people.”
“That is not the way that a president of the United States—it is not the way of that a leader of the free world or the commander-in-chief of our country to be so casually talking about the use, by the way, of nuclear weapons,” he added. “It just shows that he’s really not prepared to be president of the United States.”
Kasich pointed to Trump’s proposed ban on Muslims entering the country, saying that his comments were “pulling so many people apart.” He further commented on Trump’s immigration policy, saying that his idea to build a wall along the country’s border with Mexico was “absurd.”
“We’ve seen divisions among people who came here illegally, but should have an opportunity to settle here if they have not violated the law. And we have frightened them,” Kasich continued.
Kasich noted that he has criticized Trump a number of times, but felt the need to redouble his efforts in light of Trump’s immigration policy and the real estate mogul’s attacks on women.
“But when I see a number of these things that have been said, I have to say something about it,” Kasich said. “If I don’t say something about it, then I really feel as though, as a public official, that I’m not doing my job.”
Trump said Wednesday that he would punish women for seeking abortions if the procedure were to be outlawed, then reversed that position after issuing several clarifying statements. He has also defended his campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, against a battery charge for allegedly grabbing the arm of a former Breitbart reporter.
