Donald Trump’s campaign kicked off convention week in Cleveland by savaging Ohio Governor John Kasich, and trying to sow division between Kasich and Ohio’s Republican Senator Rob Portman, who’s facing a tough re-election fight.
“[Kasich’s] embarrassing his party in Ohio,” Trump’s acting campaign manager Paul Manafort told reporters.
Most presidential candidates would regard a popular swing-state governor of a state party as an asset to be courted. That should go doubly so for Trump, who lags behind Hillary Clinton financially and organizationally. Instead, Trump is actively trying to rip the Ohio GOP to shreds. It’s worth noting that it will be basically impossible for Trump to win the election without winning Ohio.