The “Black Lives Matter” protest movement has caused headaches for presidential candidates on the campaign trail this summer. But Ohio Gov. John Kasich lent his voice to their rallying cry, and said “black lives matter, especially now.”
CNN’s Dana Bash asked Kasich about his thoughts on the Black Lives Matter movement, in the wake of the protesters’ recent actions. Two angry protesters forced Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, a socialist running as a Democrat, to leave the stage in Seattle, Wash., so that they could complain about progressivism’s white supremacy. When former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley said, “all lives matter” at a Netroots Nation event earlier this summer, the outrage from Black Lives Matter protesters forced him to apologize.
Bash also mentioned Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton’s meeting with Black Lives Matter protesters earlier this week before asking Kasich, “What’s your view on this?”
“I’ve been very involved in Ohio,” Kasich responded. “We have a collaborative effort with community leaders, African Americans, law enforcement, and they’ve come up with 23 recommendations.”
“Can an elected official apologize for saying all lives matter?” Bash interrupted.
“I don’t know about that whole issue, I’m just telling you what we’re doing,” Kasich answered. “And all lives do matter. Black lives matter, especially now, because there’s a fear in these communities that the justice isn’t working for them. But it’s about balance and I’m not going to get myself caught in some sort of a wedge, the community has to understand the challenges of the police and the police have to understand the challenges of the community.”
Kasich has traveled through New Hampshire this week, a state where he has performed better in the polls than in other states across the country. He is tied for tenth place nationally, but is in third place in New Hampshire, according to Real Clear Politics’ average of polls nationwide and in New Hampshire. The governor will head to Alabama on Monday, and visit Iowa, during the state fair, on Tuesday.
