Nearly four years after President Donald Trump first won the White House, there remains a small but vocal portion of the GOP that is hell-bent on stabbing him in the back — and former Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) can add himself to that list.
A report published by Politico on Friday confirmed rumors that Kasich, who lost to Trump in the 2016 Republican presidential primary, will be speaking in favor of Democrat White House hopeful Joe Biden at the upcoming Democratic National Convention.
Citing “multiple people familiar with the plans,” Politico noted that twice-failed Democrat presidential contender Bernie Sanders will also be speaking at the event, which will be held virtually this year in light of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
“Unity” of anti-Trump voices
One source reportedly told Politico that Kasich will “appear on the same night as Sanders early in the week in a demonstration of unity.”
According to Bloomberg News:
The selection of Kasich would signal Biden’s effort to reach out to Republicans and independents who may be disappointed in President Donald Trump, and a key slot for Sanders indicates a desire to smooth over any ill will between Biden’s camp and progressive Democrats.
In this light, an op-ed from USA Today‘s editorial board cheered the decision by Democrat planners to include Kasich in the convention. The board also seemed to suggest that Dems should seek to feature other anti-Trump Republicans, as well.
The board called grumbles from progressives against joining forces with Never-Trumpers in the GOP “misguided,” arguing that such individuals could help the Dems win swing states this November.
The editorial board concluded: “Progressives should welcome Kasich to the Democrats’ convention. In fact, they should welcome all Republicans who want to join in. The larger their coalition, the larger the change they can bring about.”
He never got over it
Kasich already had the ire of Republicans after skipping the GOP’s 2016 national convention — which his home state was hosting — after he was snubbed by primary voters in favor of then-candidate Trump, Fox News noted.
Apparently, Kasich still hasn’t gotten over it.
“Did he ever stop running for president?” conservative commentator Ben Shapiro asked last month, according to Fox. “Did he officially drop out in 2016 or is he still actually running?”
The question remains.
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