NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK — Governor John Kasich denounced Donald Trump before a Tuesday audience at the Women’s National Republican Club in Midtown Manhattan.
“Two paths, one choice, the path that exploits anger, encourages resentment, turns fear into hatred, and divides people,” Kasich declared, without mentioning Trump during his speech.
“This path solves nothing. It demeans our history, weakens our country, and cheapens each one of us. It has one but beneficiary, the politician who speaks of it,” he said, prompting applause from the audience.
“When we unite as a country, America always wins,” Kasich said. “For those who are angry or afraid, I want assure there is another better way to deal with this. Some who feed off the fears and anger that is held by some of us, exploited to feed their own insatiable desire for fame or attention, that can drive America down into a ditch, and not make us great again. Just as disturbing are the solutions they offer.”
Kasich also repeatedly whacked at Trump’s slogan, “Make American Great Again,” and his promise to win international disputes.
When we unite as a country, America always wins. For those who are angry or afraid I want assure there is another better way to deal with this. Some who feed off the fears and anger that is held by some of us, exploited to feed their own insatiable desire for fame or attention, that can drive America down into a ditch, and not make us great again. Just as disturbing are the solutions they offer.
It would never occur to me that America will break or could break from challenges to our economy or to our security. We harden with resolve through ingenuity and coming together. We can’t sit by idly and expect fate or destiny to sweep in and rescue us. You see we always roll up our sleeves and get to work when the going gets tough. We have never, never ever seen the American spirit fail. America’s strength is that we are bound by shared ideas, by communities and families and people who are free creative and given. This is what makes America great, not some politician or some law, the spirit of our country rests in us, you and you and you, all of us, and not withstanding all of our challenges AMERICA IS STILL GREAT …
America’s economy is the largest and most productive in the world. We are bigger then the next economies, China and Japan, combined. America still leads the world in making things. America is among the largest exporter of goods and services in the entire world. America is home to 6 of the top 10 universities in the world, America is the world’s innovator, the world’s inventor, and we lead in intellectual property. Don’t let anyone tell you, particularly a politician tell you America is NOT great.
Kasich made sure to echo Trump’s critics, who say his leading campaign has divided Americans and Republicans.
“I have stood on the stage and watched in amazement, as candidates wallowed in the mud, viciously attack one another, called each other liars, and disparaged each others’ character,” Kasich said. “Those who continuously push that behavior are not worthy of the office they are seeking.”
“We all need to slow down and listen to others who sometimes we never have listened to and we need to listen carefully … There is no place for divided, polarizing, pointing fingers, or trading on short term political gain,” he said.