Ohio Gov. John Kasich said Friday that it would have been "inappropriate" to attend the Republican National Convention in his state last month without endorsing Donald Trump and that it was "bizarre" that the nominee has not supported House Speaker Paul Ryan and Sens. John McCain and Kelly Ayotte in their re-election bids.
"It's all about manners," Kasich, who won the Buckeye State's primary in June, told Jake Tapper on CNN. "If I wasn't prepared to go there and get up and endorse the nominee, I just thought it was inappropriate to go into that convention hall."
Kasich has refused to endorse Trump — and he had said that he would not attend the convention, which was held at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland.
"Think about this," he later posed to Tapper. "I want to know anybody who has had a convention in their state, when they were the governor, who did not go in the convention hall?
"Some people are really furious with me about that."
Kasich said that Trump's non-endorsements of the Ryan, McCain and Ayotte — all facing tough re-election primaries over the next month — was "bizarre" and that he was going to campaign for all of them.
"I thought it was bizarre, right?" he told Tapper before praising the incumbents, particularly McCain.
The five-term senator, 79, was captured by the Viet Cong after his Navy fighter jet was shot down over Hanoi and held for nearly six years.
"I love John McCain. John McCain is such an amazing guy," Kasich said. "Not just an American hero, but here is a guy who served his country well.
"He is outspoken and takes orders from no one. He should not even have to run."
Kasich declined to say what Trump could do to win his support and whether he would vote for the candidate — or anyone else, for that matter — in November.
"There's so much water over the dam now, it's increasingly difficult now. I want unifying. I think I have been pretty clear.
"There was a speech I made called two paths," he continued. "You can operate on the dark side of the street, or you can operate in the light.
"I think we need people to operate in the light."
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