GOP Gov. John Kasich says Trump must take responsibility for his rhetoric following bomb threats


Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) appears to be even more disappointed with President Trump than usual.
Kasich told CNN Thursday that in light of Trump's response to the multiple explosives mailed to prominent Democrats and to CNN's New York newsroom, the president doesn't seem to be "capable of being a unifier" and "doesn't know how to accept personal responsibility." The governor, who did not endorse Trump in 2016 or vote for him, was particularly upset that the president had in a tweet placed blame on the media, even though a major media organization received one of the explosive devices.
Kasich suggested Trump take responsibility for his rhetoric. "You rev people up, and what happens?" Kasich said. "Somebody out there who's unstable does something crazy." Kasich did say that Democrats also share some blame for stoking violence but noted that Trump "has the largest megaphone."
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During the interview, Kasich also criticized Trump's language regarding the caravan of Central American migrants making its way north, saying Americans should empathize with these migrants because "it could easily have been all of us" in their place "trying to save our families and save our children." Kasich added that "we've got to start putting ourselves in the shoes of other people."
Kasich, whose term ends in January, was asked if he would challenge Trump in 2020, and he did not rule out the possibility, although he said he's still evaluating his next steps. "All options are on the table," he said. Watch a portion of Kasich's interview below. Brendan Morrow
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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
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