Former Ohio Gov. John Kasich will formally endorse and speak on behalf of presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden at next month’s Democratic National Convention, according to a report from the Associated Press (AP):
“Kasich, a Republican and frequent Trump critic, has been approached and is expected to speak at the Democratic National Convention on Biden’s behalf next month, according to a person with direct knowledge of the plans who insisted on anonymity to discuss strategy. Kasich is among a handful of high-profile Republicans likely to become more active in supporting Biden in the fall.”
Though Kasich has been a frequent critic of President Donald Trump, his willingness to publicly endorse Biden at the Democratic convention is a major coup for the Biden campaign, which is seeking to form a coalition of Republicans who have decided Trump must be defeated in his bid for a second term in office.
The news about Kasich comes as many seasoned Republicans are saying key constituencies that supported Trump four years ago are expressing their disgust with how the incumbent president has dealt with the major issues confronting the country, especially the coronavirus pandemic and racial justice:
“Republicans working on congressional races across several battleground states believe the nation’s suburbs, where higher-educated white voters have traditionally favored the GOP, are almost completely lost for Trump. These voters, they warn, are more intensely opposed to Trump’s reelection than they were during the 2018 midterm elections, when a suburban backlash allowed Democrats to seize the House majority.”
Biden deputy campaign manager Kate Bedingfield said Republicans expressing support for the Democrat is proof that Trump is losing support from across the spectrum and that their efforts are welcomed by the campaign:
“In terms of Republican supporters, I think it speaks to a career of being able to work across the aisle, of being able to actually get things done. We welcome the support of anybody who’d rather see Joe Biden be president than Donald Trump.”
Former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) said he’s convinced Americans are sick and tired of the way Trump is bumbling the pandemic and decided he has no plan for how to deal with the issue:
“It’s really a perfect storm coming. It’s like Trump’s on a sinking ship.
“Everybody everyday is now dealing with coronavirus in their personal lives. Yeah, they’re going to blame Trump. They should. And there’s nothing he can do about it.”
Featured Image Via NBC News
