Kasich on Obama meeting: 'I welcome' political backlash

Not only is Ohio Gov. John Kasich not worried about a potential political backlash for sitting down with President Barack Obama on Friday to discuss their common ground on the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the former Republican presidential candidate said in a CNN interview that he would embrace such criticism.

"Oh, I frankly I welcome it," Kasich told CNN's Dana Bash in an interview on Anderson Cooper 360º.


Bash pressed, "You welcome the backlash?"

"I welcome the fact that people will criticize me for putting my country ahead of my party. It's time we start doing this in this country. We are not a parliamentary system and we were never taught to hate people because they may be in a different political party," Kasich said. "You know, when it comes to the president, he and I have a lot of disagreements. But there are areas that we can agree. If I can become somebody in the front that leads an effort for people to hear this and say you know what maybe he's right, what would I do? Shrink? Go hide somewhere? That's not who I am."

Kasich made his support of the TPP a significant point of emphasis during his campaign, putting him at odds with both eventual GOP nominee Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. The Ohio governor will appear at the White House press briefing Friday along with Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, a Democrat, who will join a bipartisan crowd of political and business figures meeting with Obama on Friday. Others attending the White House meeting include former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg; Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards; Henry Paulson, a former Treasury secretary under George W. Bush; Ginni Rometty, chairwoman, president and CEO of IBM; and Adm. James Stavridis, former NATO supreme allied commander under Obama.

And despite his pledge last year to support the eventual Republican nominee, Kasich said he has still not decided whether he will support Trump or someone else. Remarking that he is not voting for Clinton, Kasich added, "I'll let everybody know when but I think my actions have spoken very loudly. Louder than even my words."

"Gary Johnson?" Bash asked Kasich, who responded, "I haven't even gone there yet. It's a long way till Election Day."

Asked whether it is "still possible" that he could vote for Trump, Kasich called it "very unlikely. Too much water under the bridge."

"What if Donald Trump wins? What if he becomes president?" Bash continued.

Kasich responded, "Well we'll see what happens if that happens."