GOP leaders reportedly want John Kasich to drop out of the race ASAP


If some Republican leaders have their way, John Kasich will be bowing out of the presidential race sooner rather than later.
BuzzFeed reports that three sources close to Mitch McConnell said the Senate majority leader is becoming increasingly irritated by Kasich staying in the race, impeding Republicans from coming together around one candidate, and even some of Kasich's allies are going to start strongly urging him to drop out. With the Ohio governor still in the running, some GOP leaders say he's taking away votes that could be going to a candidate in a better position to defeat Donald Trump — for instance, on Super Tuesday, Kasich received about 9 percent of the vote in Virginia, a state that Marco Rubio lost to Trump by less than 5 points.
Kasich has said he won't exit the race until after Ohio, but one Republican told BuzzFeed it looks like maybe Kasich "made a deal with the devil. Why else is he in the race? Kasich needs to look GOP voters in the eye and tell us whether he has a deal — explicit or implicit — with Donald Trump for a spot on the ticket." Ryan Williams, who worked for Mitt Romney in 2012, said Kasich is running a "vanity campaign," and he can expect plenty of private and public calls to leave the race now. "People should realize that a vote for Kasich at this point is a vote for Trump," he said. "It's time for John Kasich to take a hint and read the handwriting on the wall."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
The Week Unwrapped: What does Bake Off say about Channel 4?
Podcast Plus, why are Scottish drug deaths so stubbornly high? And are women in their 30s too anxious about their eggs?
-
BookTok is reviving publishing – but at what cost?
In The Spotlight Social media recommendations are boosting book sales but critics give the trend mixed reviews
-
Canyons under the Antarctic have deep impacts
Under the radar Submarine canyons could be affecting the climate more than previously thought
-
Epstein accusers urge full file release, hint at own list
speed read A rally was organized by Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, who are hoping to force a vote on their Epstein Files Transparency Act
-
Court hands Harvard a win in Trump funding battle
Speed Read The Trump administration was ordered to restore Harvard's $2 billion in research grants
-
Florida aims to end all state vaccine requirements
Speed Read Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. continues to cut vaccine access and install anti-vaccine activists at the FDA and CDC
-
US kills 11 on 'drug-carrying boat' off Venezuela
Speed Read Trump claimed those killed in the strike were 'positively identified Tren de Aragua Narcoterrorists' shipping drugs to the US
-
Trump vows to send federal forces to Chicago, Baltimore
Speed Read The announcement followed a California judge ruling that Trump's LA troop deployment was illegal
-
Trump crypto token launch earns family billions
Speed Read The World Liberty Financial token is now the Trump family's 'most valuable asset'
-
RFK Jr. names new CDC head as staff revolt
Speed Read Kennedy installed his deputy, Jim O'Neill, as acting CDC director
-
DC prosecutors lose bid to indict sandwich thrower
Speed Read Prosecutors sought to charge Sean Dunn with assaulting a federal officer