Kasich at DNC: Trump’s presidency has led to ‘dysfunction, irresponsibility, and growing vitriol’

Former Ohio Governor John Kasich, a Republican, delivered remarks Monday evening at the mostly virtual Democratic National Convention.

In his speech, Kasich endorsed presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and said the presidency of Donald Trump has led him to be “deeply concerned.”

“America is at a crossroads. Sometimes elections represent a real choice, a choice we make as individuals and as a nation about which path we want to take when we’ve come to challenging times. America is at that crossroads today,” Kasich said. “Many of us have been deeply concerned about the current path we’ve been following for the past four years. It’s a path that’s led to division, dysfunction, irresponsibility, and growing vitriol between our citizens. Continuing to follow that path will have terrible consequences for America’s soul because we’re being taken down the wrong road by a president who has pitted one against the other. He’s unlike all of our best leaders before him who worked to unite us to bridge our differences and lead us to a united America.”

Kasich, who served two terms as Ohio governor, mounted an unsuccessful presidential campaign against Trump for the Republican nomination in 2016. Since then, Kasich has since emerged as one of the leading Trump critics within the Republican Party.

“I’m a lifelong Republican, but that attachment holds second place to my responsibility to my country. That’s why I’ve chosen to appear at this convention. In normal times, something like this would probably never happen, but these are not normal times,” Kasich said.

Kasich said while there are some areas of policy where he and Joe Biden disagree, he believes he will be a much better president than the current occupant of the White House.

“I’ve known Joe Biden for 30 years. I know his story of profound grief that is so deeply effected his character. I know Joe is a good man, a man of faith, a unifier, someone who understands the hopes and dreams of the common man and the common woman, a man who can help us to see the humanity in each other,” Kasich said.

“Yes, there are areas where Joe and I absolutely disagree, but that’s okay, because that’s America. Because whatever our differences, we respect one another as human beings, each of us searching for justice and for purpose. We can all see what’s going on in our country today and all the questions that are facing us and no one person or a party has all the answers,” Kasich said. “But what we do know is that we can do better than what we’ve been seeing today, for sure. I know that Joe Biden with his experience and his wisdom and his decency can bring us together to help us find that better way.”

Kasich said while some Republicans may fear that Biden will “turn sharp left and leave them behind,” he doesn’t believe that because he knows “the measure of the man.”

“He’s reasonable, faithful, respectful, and you know no one pushes Joe around. Joe Biden is a man for our times, times that call for all of us to take off our partisan hats and put our nation first for ourselves, and of course for our children,” Kasich said.