The former head of the CIA and National Security Agency is backing Republican presidential candidate John Kasich, his campaign announced Wednesday.
Gen. Michael Hayden, who led the NSA from 1999 to 2005 and the CIA from 2006 to 2009, called Kasich the most experienced candidate.
{mosads}”Governor John Kasich, who served 18 years on the House Armed Services Committee, is the one candidate in the entire field with the best experience, expertise and leadership skills required to be Commander-in-Chief,” Hayden said in a statement.
“Governor Kasich has some serious proposals to strengthen our military, defeat ISIS and stand up for freedom around the world — proposals that rise far above bumper stickers and amateur rhetoric.”
Hayden has spoken favorably about Kasich in the past, lauding his foreign policy chops while slamming GOP front-runner Donald Trump for calling for an expansion of controversial interrogation techniques.