Ohio Gov. John Kasich and his allies aren’t exactly rolling out the welcome mat for Donald Trump.
New Day for America, the super-PAC supporting Kasich’s presidential bid that doesn’t coordinate with the campaign, plans to fly a plane around the Columbus Convention Center, the site of Trump’s Monday night rally, that says “Ohioans Can’t Trust Trump.”
{mosads}“As usual, I’m sure tonight will be really entertaining, but as Mr. Trump prepares for his latest nonsensical rant, Brussels is on lockdown, Paris remains under a state of emergency and cities across America are implementing measures to prevent a terrorist attack on U.S. soil,” Connie Wehrkamp, a New Day spokeswoman, said in a release.
“The times are far too serious to entrust America’s ‘entertainer in chief’ with the grave responsibilities that come with the title of commander in chief. We can’t trust Donald Trump and New Day For America is committed to reminding voters of that between now and the primaries,” she said.
Timed for the same day of Trump’s speech, Kasich’s official campaign led a media call on Monday with Ohio Republican politicians, including Rep. Pat Tiberi, who all vaguely criticized Trump’s rhetoric and lack of political experience as a dangerous combination in a president.
“These sort of brash statements on the international stage could be extremely costly,” state Sen. Peggy Lehner told reporters on the call.
“When it comes to international diplomacy, there are often no second chances.”
These efforts come as New Day for America has released a new digital ad airing in Ohio and New Hampshire that cobbles together Trump’s “greatest hits,” which are hardly flattering.
The ad includes controversial comments from Trump’s campaigns, including when he said that Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) was not a war hero, referred to African-Americans as “the blacks,” said Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly had “blood coming out of her wherever,” and referred to Mexican immigrants as rapists.
It also includes quote from a 2006 interview on “The View” where he joked that “If Ivanka weren’t my daughter, perhaps I’d be dating her.”
The ad is part of New Day’s $2.5 million effort to step up the attacks on Trump as he continues to top the GOP presidential polls. Corey Lewandowski, Trump’s campaign manger, brushed the attacks aside in an interview with The Hill last week, where he jokingly questioned whether Kasich is still in the presidential race.