Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) is pleading with President Trump Donald John TrumpUS reimposes UN sanctions on Iran amid increasing tensions Jeff Flake: Republicans 'should hold the same position' on SCOTUS vacancy as 2016 Trump supporters chant 'Fill that seat' at North Carolina rally MORE to take action on gun control following the deadly Florida high school shooting.

"Of course the president can lead on this and should lead on this and Mr. President, I ask you to do this," he said on CNN's "State of the Union."

"You don't have to boil the ocean, but take some steps now."

ADVERTISEMENT

Kasich said this is a great opportunity for common-sense steps to be taken.

"I believe those who are Second Amendment advocates realize that common-sense, real reforms can happen in this country to answer the cries and the anguish of people all across this country who have lost loved ones," he said.

Kasich said the country needs leadership and brought up reforms involving background checks.

"This is a great opportunity for common-sense steps that can be taken, just in the area of background checks," he said.

"There should be no ability to do a casual sale without somebody having to find out who they're selling the gun to and what is involved. The president should be for that."

Kasich also addressed the issue of mental illness.

"We need to take a look across the country that if somebody's mentally ill, it needs to be reported, and if somebody becomes emotionally distraught, it must be immediately examined by local law enforcement or the FBI," he said.

His comments come after 17 people were killed and more than a dozen others were injured when a gunman opened fire at a high school in Parkland, Fla.

After the shooting, multiple lawmakers have called for action to be taken on gun control. Students who survived the shooting are also demanding that lawmakers take action to prevent tragedies from happening in the future.

Last year, Kasich spoke about the need to come together regarding the national gun control debate. He said he wanted to come up with reasonable solutions and find common ground. His comments last year appeared to be a departure from his previous approach, Cleveland.com reported.