Ohio Gov. John Kasich said Sunday President Trump’s policy on Russia has been “getting better” and credited the president for working with the Europeans to sanction the Kremlin for election interference, and other hostile actions, including its alleged poisoning of an ex-spy .
“Well, look, it’s been getting better since the poisoning of that former agent in London,” Kasich said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
“Putin has been able to unify the West, unlike what we have seen. So, there have been sanctions. There probably could be more sanctions. But the fact is, is that the French, the Germans, the Brits, the Americans, we’re all now beginning to say that Putin is a thug and that we need to push back on him.”
Kasich is a prominent Republican critic of Trump who ran against him in the 2016 presidential race, and is reportedly mulling another run in 2020.
Trump, during a rally in Michigan Saturday, claimed he has been tougher on Russian President Vladimir Putin than any other president. While the Trump administration has acted aggressively to combat Russia, the president has been reluctant to criticize Putin directly as special counsel Robert Mueller investigates whether the Trump campaign conspired with Moscow in the 2016 election.
Trump has said he wants to have warmer relations with the Kremlin to work together on shared threats in the Middle East.
Kasich said Sunday Trump deserves credit for pushing back at Russia in recent weeks.
The Trump administration earlier this month imposed sanctions on seven of Russia’s richest men and 17 top government officials for Moscow’s interfering in the 2016 presidential election.
“He’s taken action lately that has been good,” Kasich said. “Give him credit for that, the same way that I give him credit for the pressure that he’s put on the North Koreans.”
“I mean, look, my job is not to be a critic of Donald Trump,” Kasich added. “People don’t understand that. I am not speaking out because somehow I want something politically. I’m worried about my country, and I’m worried about the divisions and the constant effort to continue to polarize us. But, at the end, when the president deserves credit, when Donald Trump deserves credit, I’m going to give it to him. Why not? Be fair.”
