Ohio Gov. John Kasich responded to the Club for Growth’s television ad airing in Indiana ahead of the May 3 primary during an appearance on CBS’s Face the Nation.
Kasich alleged the Club for Growth is “working aggressively against me because they are for somebody else,” referencing Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), whom the organization endorsed.
The Club’s TV ad says a vote for Kasich “actually helps” Donald Trump win the Republican nomination. The commercial at issue states that “only Ted Cruz can beat Donald Trump. John Kasich can’t do it. The math won’t work. A vote for Kasich actually helps Trump by dividing the opposition.”
During his Sunday campaign rally in Maryland, GOP frontrunner Donald Trump responded to arguments from pundits that suggest Kasich’s remaining in the GOP primary race actually helps Trump.
“I don’t happen to think so,” Trump said, referencing the delegate count out of the New York primary last week, saying if Kasich were out, Trump could have won his delegates.
Kasich fired back against the advertisement, saying that “a vote for Trump, frankly, is a vote for” Hillary Clinton, the likely Democratic nominee.
“I’m the only one who can defeat Hillary Clinton,” Kasich stated. “When we’re at the convention, the delegates are going to want to know who can beat Hillary.”
“If we don’t beat Hillary, we lose the Supreme Court, the United States Senate, state, and local races,” Kasich explained. “That’s where we’re heading. And these guys don’t have enough time to turn around super high negatives.”
The Club’s Super PAC is reportedly spending $1.5 million on advertisements in Indiana. Polls show Trump has a slight lead in the Hoosier state.
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