Party Disunity: Donald Trump team says Kasich ’embarrassing’ GOP

Trump discussed the Kasich situation because he wanted to take his message beyond the convention, Manafort said.

“[Kasich]’s making a big mistake!”

“We left the race abruptly, and the reason why we did is that I became convinced that in one way or another to go forward, I would have to tell people things that I didn’t think were true”.

The reception was highly anticipated by OH delegates, who were pledged to cast votes Tuesday night for Kasich. Other former candidates, including Florida Senator Marco Rubio, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie have come out in support of the nominee.

Kasich has declined to endorse Trump and won’t speak at the GOP convention in his home state.

Kasich’s visit to the IL delegation was the first of several the two-term governor is making to delegates in Cleveland outside the Quicken Loans Arena convention hall, which he has pledged not to set foot in.

Call it a sign that Donald Trump’s campaign is not extending an olive branch to critics or those Republicans still withholding their support of them.

As to suggestions made this week that Kasich may be trying to put together an infrastructure to run again for president in 2020, he said nothing, however, other than cryptically remarking, “Folks, I don’t want anything” and commenting that when his second term as governor is over in 2019, he will have been in public service for three decades. “We are a big tent, though we have to act like it, and we have to have ideas and policies that allow us to expand who we are as Republicans, while not giving up our principles”, he said. “A Supreme Court that is extremely liberal for maybe a generation or two generations is what we’ll have if Hillary Clinton is president of the United States”. He is attending a few satellite events like the one this morning with the MI delegation in Akron, Ohio. John McCain and Mitt Romney.

Gingrich said that Republicans are “puzzled” by Kasich’s absence. “Those are all problems for me”, he said. No Republican has won the White House without carrying Ohio. Rob Portman [of Ohio], and they may need optimal Republican turnout in order to do that.

Berden and other MI delegates hope Kasich will change his mind and support Trump. Delegates vote on the rules that will govern the convention week, and insurgent delegates said they would try to force a state-by-state vote – a move that could disrupt floor proceedings even if they fail.