Report: Kasich dropping out of presidential race

CNN is reporting that John Kasich will drop out of the 2016 presidential race.

Earlier today, Kasich canceled a press conference in Virginia and is scheduled to make a statement at 5 p.m. in Columbus, fueling speculation that he may be suspending his presidential campaign.

Even after U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz dropped out Tuesday, Kasich and his campaign insisted that he would stay in the race until someone captures the 1,237 delegates required to clinch the Republican nomination at the convention in Cleveland.

Kasich is the last anti-Trump standing in the GOP primary, even though he has virtually no chance of stopping him and staying in the race has already made Kasich the butt of jokes.

Stephen Colbert unleashed biting criticism of Kasich in a three-minute segment late Tuesday, noting that Kasich trails U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida in the delegate count even though Rubio dropped out five weeks ago.

“It’s like the old saying, ‘Quitters never win, but they still beat John Kasich,’” Colbert said with a smirk. He mocked Kasich’s optimistic ads as fantasy and Colbert showed his own spoof ad where Barack Obama resigns early to make way for Kasich so that Kasich could balance the budget, defeat ISUS and throw — and catch — the winning pass in the Super Bowl.

Kyle Kondik, managing editor of Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics, said: “Kasich just has not performed well enough to be taken seriously as a viable contender. That’s been true for months.”

Ohio Governor John Kasich cancelled a scheduled news conference at Dulles International Airport in Washington D.C. amid speculation that he is suspending his campaign for president.

He said he would release a statement at 5 p.m. in Columbus.

Cox Media Group