Ohio Gov. John Kasich warned Tuesday that Islamic terrorists have waged war against Western nations around the globe.
“We’ve really been at war with Islam for a long time now, radical Islam, not with Islam, but radical Islam,” Kasich said.
“I believe there is a war being directed against the West,” he added. “There’s not only a war directed against the West, but a war being directed against all of civilized society and that’s why it’s so vital that civilized society come together. We need to be calm. We need to be strong. We need to be smart and we need to take care of business.”
Kasich told Fox News he believed the attacks revealed that “obviously, the intelligence community is behind the eight ball” and needs to be rebuilt immediately.
He joined fellow Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz’s desire for President Obama to return to the United States in the aftermath of the terror attacks in Brussels. Kasich agreed that the U.S. needs to show a united front with Belgium, after two explosions that reportedly killed dozens of people.
“When people in Europe die from the impact of suicide bombers, when they bleed, we bleed in America,” Kasich said. “We’re all in this together.”
Kasich called on Congress to immediately examine the U.S. Visa Waiver Program, which allows people from certain countries to travel to the U.S. without a visa for stays of fewer than 90 days, and said he was glad several governors have decided to stand against admitting more Syrian refugees without sufficient vetting.
The Ohio governor also took a parting shot at Donald Trump for “downplaying” the United States’ involvement in NATO, which Kasich said should be made stronger.
