Kasich on 2020 bid: ‘Maybe I will. Maybe I won’t’

Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) on Sunday didn’t rule out a presidential run in 2020, saying he’s not sure what he’s going to do, in part because the mood of the country changes so frequently.

“What I’m doing now is — look, I’m staying alive. I’m speaking out. But every time I say anything or observe something, people want to say, ‘oh, well, that’s because he’s running for president,’ ” Kasich said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” when asked about the prospect of a 2020 campaign.

“I really don’t know what I’m going to do,” he continued. “Maybe I will. Maybe I won’t. I don’t know. But here’s what I do know. My job as a human being, ultimately, is to serve the Lord. And if I’m helping people to realize their God-given purpose and destiny, then I’m striking tin, and that’s good.”

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Host Chuck Todd asked Kasich if he believes he may be too Republican to draw in more centrist Democrats if he were to mount a challenge to President Trump. Kasich responded that the mood of the country shifts too quickly to know for certain.

“You cannot predict where this country’s going, where the mood is going, because everyone in the country knows that it’s chaotic,” Kasich said. “They know there’s something wrong with our compass and they really want it fixed. So I don’t really worry too much about any of this. I’m going to do my job and that’s all I can do.”

Kasich, who ran against Trump in the 2016 GOP primary, has become an outspoken critic of the president’s rhetoric and some of his policies. 

While he has on multiple occasions suggested that Trump’s presidency could lead to a blurring of partisan lines, he has been non-committal on the prospect of launching another presidential campaign himself.