Former Ohio Gov. John Kasich said he went behind a building and cried after losing the 2016 GOP presidential primary to former President Donald Trump.
Kasich made the embarrassing admission on Thursday’s episode of the “Kasich & Klepper” podcast.
The former governor said that he had stayed in the race until the bitter end because he believed people “were gonna come to their senses.”
“Well, you know, I was [in the presidential race] til the bitter end. When it was over — I haven’t ever told anyone this — I was on a plane and we were going to do a fundraiser, and I could have done it, and I thought, ‘You know, that’s not right, I know this isn’t gonna go on because Trump’s gonna have enough votes in the convention,’” Kasich explained. “ I was really hoping that we were gonna block him and that people were gonna come to their senses.”
When he finally admitted to himself that he lost, he cried.
“But when it was over, we got off the plane, I went inside the FBO [fixed-base operator], and I went behind this building, and I cried. I had one cry,” Kasich said, explaining that his family comforted him.
“Then I went to my daughter’s school — and that was really hard — and they had gotten wind of [the end of my campaign] and then they came out and gave me a big hug. But then it was over, and it was a wonderful experience.”
Kasich said that he does not miss his time in politics.
“I quit congress, I just walked away, and I thought OK time to do something else. I left the governor’s job. People say ‘Do you miss being governor?’ – it’s a powerful position in the 7th largest state,” Kasich said. “And I say no because I knew what was gonna come, and the job doesn’t define me.”