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."
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.
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
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
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.
-
Groypers: the alt-right group pulled into the foreground
The Explainer The network is led by alt-right activist Nick Fuentes
-
10 concert tours to see this upcoming fall
The Week Recommends Concert tour season isn't over. Check out these headliners.
-
How to put student loan payments on pause
The Explainer If you are starting to worry about missing payments, deferment and forbearance can help
-
House posts lewd Epstein note attributed to Trump
Speed Read The estate of Jeffrey Epstein turned over the infamous 2003 birthday note from President Donald Trump
-
Supreme Court allows 'roving' race-tied ICE raids
Speed Read The court paused a federal judge's order barring agents from detaining suspected undocumented immigrants in LA based on race
-
South Korea to fetch workers detained in Georgia raid
Speed Read More than 300 South Korean workers detained in an immigration raid at a Hyundai plant will be released
-
DC sues Trump to end Guard 'occupation'
Speed Read D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb argues that the unsolicited military presence violates the law
-
RFK Jr. faces bipartisan heat in Senate hearing
Speed Read The health secretary defended his leadership amid CDC turmoil and deflected questions about the restricted availability of vaccines
-
White House defends boat strike as legal doubts mount
Speed Read Experts say there was no legal justification for killing 11 alleged drug-traffickers
-
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