Ohio Republican Gov. John Kasich said Sunday the “Republican Party left me,” expressing frustration with the “right wing” direction the GOP is headed, and vowing to steer it back to one that cares “about everybody.”
In an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Kasich said Democrats “are all screwed up too.”
“The left wing is really dominating them like the right wing is dominating a Republican Party,” he said.
“I’m still a Republican,” he declared. “I didn't leave the Republican Party. The Republican Party left me. In my state we have balanced budgets, surplus, we're up half a million jobs and then people say, 'Well Kasich's not a conservative.' What does that mean?"
“Party, come on home, come home to where we basically live,” he urged.
“We should care about people from top to bottom, not just those at the top, but everybody. I can bring that party back. That's what I'm going to do in one way or another."
Kasich hasn't ruled out a presidential run in 2020, saying that he's keeping his options open. He’s reportedly also considering an independent candidacy.
In his Sunday interview, Kasich also called out those would deride the news media, without mentioning President Donald Trump, a frequent and fervent critic.
"The press is such a critical foundation of freedom in our society and all over the world,” he said, adding: “If you don't trust the press who will you trust? A politician? That's the last group of people I would trust."
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.