Ohio Gov. John Kasich got major support Friday for his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination: an endorsement from former talk-show host Montel Williams and ex-California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's participation in a televised town hall in New Hampshire.
"I left the Republican Party in the early 1990s to become an independent," Williams said in an op-ed piece in
USA Today. "But I'm now excited about the GOP for the first time since then — and it's because Ohio Gov. John Kasich is running for president."
He called the campaign for the Republican nomination "an embarrassment" because "instead of a new message of unity and inclusion, we've gotten division and antagonism."
Against this backdrop, Williams called Kasich "a voice of sanity," citing his congressional record and the reforms he has brought to Ohio as governor. He also challenged criticism that Kasich is not a conservative.
"I don't agree with Kasich on everything," Williams cautioned, noting his positions on drug policy, abortion rights and education.
"However, I believe he's a man you can trust; a man who'll look you in the eye, hear you out, and have an honest conversation. … We do need a candidate that inspires us to believe our best days are still ahead, and Kasich is that candidate."
Schwarzenegger, who governed California from 2003 to 2011, will participate in a televised town hall with Kasich and Granite State voters later Friday,
The Columbus Dispatch reports.
The actor donated $2,700 to Kasich's campaign, the newspaper reported this week.
However, Los Angeles Times political writer Seema Mehta said on Twitter that Schwarzenegger's spokesman said that the former governor would not be endorsing Kasich today but is "being supportive of good friend Kasich who he knows forever" from the annual Arnold Classic body-building event Schwarzenegger holds in Columbus.
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