Retired four-star Gen. Michael Hayden is endorsing John Kasich in the GOP presidential primary, saying the Ohio governor's foreign policy and security proposals "rise far above bumper-stickers and amateur rhetoric."
The former head of the CIA and NSA director, who had been an adviser to the
presidential campaign of Jeb Bush, also will serve on the Ohio governor's national security advisory group, the
Kasich campaign announced.
"Governor John Kasich, who served 18 years on the House Armed Services Committee, is the one candidate in the entire field with the best experience, expertise and leadership skills required to be commander-in-chief," Hayden said in a statement distributed Wednesday by the Kasich campaign.
"Governor Kasich has serious proposals to strengthen our military, defeat ISIS and stand up for freedom around the world — proposals that rise far above bumper-stickers and amateur rhetoric."
Hayden's endorsement was no surprise,
Politico reports, having previously praised Kasich for both his policy and demeanor.
"He is a very serious man, and he got good marks when he was on the committees. He did his homework," Hayden said of Kasich last month, Politico reports.
Hayden has blasted GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump's proposals to
reinstate waterboarding, and Sen. Ted Cruz's call for
Muslim surveillance.
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