Kasich: 'No way' Trump returns to White House

Former Ohio Republican Gov. John Kasich declared on Tuesday that former President Donald Trump would not reclaim the White House, the same day that Trump surrendered himself to New York authorities and pleaded not guilty to 34 counts.

Trump's plea stems from a case Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has pursued in connection with a 2016 payment his then-personal attorney, Michael Cohen, made to Stormy Daniels. The former president also faces an investigation from Fulton County DA Fani Willis in connection with his efforts to challenge the results of the 2020 presidential election in that state and a separate probe from special counsel Jack Smith involving his alleged mishandling of classified materials.

The Ohio Republican, during an appearance on MSNBC, conceded that Trump had a knack for emerging from scandal unharmed, saying "he’s like the master of escape, and we just have to wait and see," The Hill reported. "There’s no way the guy’s gonna be president," he added, asserting that independents and "traditional" Republicans would not support him amid the myriad investigations.

"I think there’s a lot of exhaustion, and even people who are supporting him at this moment, thinking that this is some political deal, they’re exhausted," he said. "Now his core base, he can do just about anything and they hang with him, but I think there is a level of exhaustion."

Republican leadership has largely rallied behind the former president, deeming Bragg's case a political prosecution. Even Trump's declared rivals for the GOP primary such as former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and tech mogul Vivek Ramaswamy have issued statements of support.

Some GOP lawmakers have even proposed halting federal funding to Bragg's office over the matter.

Kasich, however, suggested that while Republicans might "put up" with the New York indictment, more substantial charges from the Georgia and federal cases might lessen their enthusiasm.

"When you move down to Georgia, if something else happens there, or the documents case happens, I think exhaustion is sort of like water in a boat, it begins to overflow the boat and begins to sink him," he concluded.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.