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Ohio GOP Counters Kasich's Scheduled DNC Appearance

By Andy Chow

Published August 17, 2020 at 11:05 PM EDT

Ohio Republicans are firing back at John Kasich, the former Ohio governor and high-profile Republican who is slated to speak at the Democratic National Convention Monday night.

Kasich is expected to throw his support behind former Vice President Joe Biden's presidential bid during the Democrats' opening night of speeches. The prime-time appearance at the DNC is expected to include a message of unity, an attempt to win over conservative and moderate support for Biden.

But Rep. Bob Gibbs (R-Ohio) said conservatives should continue to align with President Donald Trump who, as Gibbs says, has a proven track record of economic success.

"I would just not pay attention to the noise out there from John Kasich and others. And just think of where we were with this pandemic and where we're headed," Gibbs said.

In a fundraising email, Ohio Republican Party Chair Jane Timken said Kasich has "turned his back on us" and that the Democratic presidential ticket of Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) is progressive and caters to socialist agendas.

Kasich has long been a vocal critic of Trump, including running against him for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016.