Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) says he won't completely rule out launching a presidential bid in 2020.

Asked Monday during a CNN town hall whether he would run for the White House in 2020, Kasich responded: "Very unlikely that I will run for public office."

"You wouldn't close the door on it?" CNN's Anderson Cooper asked.

ADVERTISEMENT

"How do you close the door on anything?" Kasich responded. "If I see something I need to do to help my country, that I really believe that I have to do, then I would think I would probably do it."



Kasich also said he would give President Trump an "incomplete" thus far.

"It's not even a 100 days, so you have to give the guy a chance," he said. "He's never held public office before."

Kasich was a strong critic of Trump during the campaign after dropping his own presidential bid. The Ohio governor did not attend the Republican National Convention in July, which was held in his state, and declined to endorse Trump before Election Day.

In February, Kasich met with President Trump and said following the meeting he was "very optimistic" the president heard his concerns and suggestions. Kasich told reporters the president listened carefully to his comments, adding that the two talked about a variety of issues.

When asked in February about his attitude toward Trump, Kasich said: "The man is the president of the United States. It's sort of like being on an airplane — you want to root for the pilot."