The last remaining republican presidential candidate John Kasich is dropping out of the race today — paving the way for businessman Donald Trump to likely become the GOP nominee and likely take on pro-abortion presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
Trump emerged as the presumptive GOP nominee Tuesday night when Ted Cruz dropped out.
SIGN THE PLEDGE: I Pledge to Vote for a Pro-Life Candidate for President
Even before winning his home state of Ohio in March, Kasich was facing pressure to get out of the race, with no clear path to victory. His campaign never became more than a spoiler run, designed to keep Trump from getting the 1,237 delegates needed to win the nomination before a contested convention.
Kasich was a somewhat offbeat Republican contender, who laughed at himself on the trail, occasionally took positions more in line with Democrats (like expanding Medicaid in Ohio) and touted his ability to work across the aisle. He sometimes even joked that he would have done better in the Democratic primaries than in the crowded Republican field.
Kasich hugged one supporter at a South Carolina town hall who shared a deeply personal story of losing his friend to suicide and comforted another woman at a Virginia town hall as she spoke of her son’s autism. And Kasich, himself, shared the deeply personal story of how he found God after losing both his parents in a car crash.
Kasich’s could potentially still end up on the Republican ticket — he has been floated as a possible pick for vice president, based in part on his popularity in Ohio, a crucial swing state.
Kasich had fundraisers scheduled in the Washington area on Wednesday, and was at the Columbus airport, CNN’s Sara Murray reported, but canceled them and remained in the Ohio capital when he had a change of heart Wednesday morning.
After having the plane taxi back from the runway, according to one source close to Kasich, he then called four of his closest friends, and said, “My heart is not in this,” one source close to Kasich told CNN’s Gloria Borger. The source said that Kasich told his friend that if his heart is not in it, he ought to end it. The governor then called his two top campaign aides, John Weaver and Beth Hansen and let them know.
Meanwhile, Trump indicated he may consider naming Kasich his vice-presidential running mate:
“I would be interested in vetting John ,” the presumptive Republican nominee told CNN.
“I like John, had a good relationship with John and have gotten along with him well ,” he said.
Trump defeated Ted Cruz and John Kasich in Indiana’s winner-take-all primary election Tuesday and it makes it even more likely that Trump will become the Republican nominee for president. Trump’s victory puts him in a commanding position to clinch the nomination on June 7, when the last Republican contests are held.
Cruz, who came in a distant second to Trump, has staked much of his campaign on Indiana. He named Carly Fiorina as his running mate, and he spent a lot of time and money in the Hoosier State. It was, ultimately, unsuccessful for the Texas Senator, as Trump is projected to take more than 50% of the vote in Indiana.
Cruz ended his presidential campaign on Tuesday after failing to defeat Donald Trump in the Indiana Republican primary.
“From the beginning, I’ve said that I would continue on as long as there was a viable path to victory,” Cruz told supporters at an election night rally in Indianapolis. “Tonight, I’m sorry to say it appears that path has been foreclosed.”
Cruz’s supporters were shocked and booed at the news he would no longer continue to take on Trump.
“Together we left it all on the field in Indiana,” Cruz said. “We gave it everything we got. But the voters chose another path.”
If Trump is the nominee, he would present a stark contrast on abortion to pro-abortion Democrat Hillary Clinton.
Trump has specifically promised he would sign a bill as president to de-fund Planned Parenthood. In an interview with David Brody of CBN, Trump made that promise:
David Brody: “As a President Trump, if a bill came to your desk that would defund Planned Parenthood you would support that, you would sign that?”
Donald Trump: “Yes, because as long as they do the abortion I am not for funding Planned Parenthood… As long as they’re involved with abortion, as far as I’m concerned forget it, I wouldn’t fund them regardless. I would defund Planned Parenthood because of their view and the fact of their work on abortion…. I am for defunding Planned Parenthood as long as they are involved with abortion.”
As far as Trump’s comments on Planned Parenthood funding are concerned, Trump has fairly consistently said he opposes taxpayer funding but he’s also made some remarks about the “good things” Planned Parenthood does that have alarmed pro-life voters — as if any “good thing” could make up for the fact that planned Parenthood kills 330,000 unborn babies a year in abortions and then sells their body parts for profit.
Meanwhile, Trump said he thinks the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court case that ushered in an era of 48 million abortions was “wrongly decided.” Trump said he would appoint “very good judges” who would ultimately “change it” but he opposed Roe without specifically saying it should be overturned.
Here are some of the headlines we’ve carried at LifeNews.com in recent months that provide further details on what Trump has said regarding Planned Parenthood funding:
August 4: Donald Trump: Shut Down the Federal Government to De-Fund Planned Parenthood
August 11: Donald Trump: Planned Parenthood is an “Abortion Factory”
August 17: Donald Trump: Videos of Planned Parenthood Selling Aborted Babies Were “Disgusting,” De-Fund It
August 26: Donald Trump: Planned Parenthood is an “Abortion Factory” That Sells Baby Parts Like Automobiles
October 19: Donald Trump: “Planned Parenthood Should Absolutely be De-Funded”
December 2: Donald Trump: De-Fund Planned Parenthood and “Look Carefully at” Overturning Roe v. Wade
December 22: Donald Trump: Unless Planned Parenthood Stops Doing Abortions, We Should De-Fund It
