Ohio Gov. John Kasich plans to suspend his run to be the GOP presidential nominee, multiple sources told NBC News on Wednesday.
He had previously cancelled a planned event in order to make a Wednesday night statement in Ohio.
Kasich was left the only man standing against Donald Trump in the Republican presidential primary race after Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas suspended his run on Tuesday night. Republican U.S. presidential candidate John Kasich eats a pickle at PJ Bernstein's Deli Restaurant in New York City, April 16, 2016. Brendan McDermid | Reuters Republican U.S. presidential candidate John Kasich eats a pickle at PJ Bernstein's Deli Restaurant in New York City, April 16, 2016.
Trump won a resounding victory on Tuesday night in Indiana, taking all 57 of the state's GOP delegates, according to NBC.
In response, Cruz suspended his run, concluding that he had there was no longer a "viable path" to his becoming the Republican standard-bearer in the general election.
"From the beginning I've said that I would continue on as long as there was a viable path to victory. Tonight, I'm sorry to say, it appears that path has been foreclosed," Cruz said during a Tuesday night speech. "The voters chose another path, and so with a heavy heart, but with boundless optimism for the long-term future of our nation, we are suspending our campaign." ‹
Protesters outside the hotel where Donald Trump was speaking, Burlingame, California, April 29, 2016. Here's how much was spent to stop Trump Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) walks away after announcing the suspension of his campaign during his election night watch party at the Crowne Plaza Downtown Union Station on May 3, 2016 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Ted Cruz suspends presidential campaign
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For its part, the Kasich campaign said in a Tuesday evening statement that the Indiana results "are not going to alter" the candidate's plan.
"Our strategy has been and continues to be one that involves winning the nomination at an open convention," the Kasich campaign said.
Cruz and Kasich had spearheaded the (now almost assuredly unsuccessful) attempts of some members of the GOP to stop Trump's roll to the nomination. But that "Never Trump" movement appeared to stall on Tuesday night after Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus said the real estate magnate would be the "presumptive" nominee.
Trump, meanwhile, told The New York Times on Wednesday that he is forming his vice presidential selection committee to consider a short list — which currently doesn't include Kasich. Donald Trump speaks at a press conference announcing his primary victory in 5 states: Connecticut, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Delaware on April 26, 2016 in New York City. How Trump could win the presidency
The plan, according to those behind the Cruz and Kasich campaigns, was to prevent Trump from winning 1,237 delegates before the GOP convention this summer, thereby preventing him from securing a first ballot victory. After that, the Cruz and Kasich campaigns said there would have been a chance for their candidates to win over the delegates and earn the nomination.
Although that path seemed nearly impossible after Trump's Indiana victory, the Kasich campaign still seemed ready for a fight after Cruz suspended his run.
During his run, Kasich was only able to amass 154 delegates, according to NBC News. That puts him under Marco Rubio's 172 delegates — and the senator from Florida had dropped out in March.
Yet despite Republican voter's apparent reluctance to vote for Kasich — he only won his home state of Ohio — his campaign had billed him as the party's best bet in the general election.
I guess catshit quit ingesting the drugs he has been on. 