Kasich: Ohio candidate didn’t invite Trump to rally

Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) said Sunday that an Ohio House candidate did not invite President TrumpDonald John TrumpSenate advances public lands bill in late-night vote Warren, Democrats urge Trump to back down from veto threat over changing Confederate-named bases Esper orders ‘After Action Review’ of National Guard’s role in protests MORE to appear at his campaign rally on Saturday.

The governor and former GOP presidential candidate, who has been critical of Trump, told George Stephanopoulos on ABC’s “This Week” that GOP hopeful Troy Balderson told him that he didn’t have anything to do with inviting Trump.

“I asked him the other day ‘Why are you bringing Trump in,’ he said ‘well, I don’t have anything to do with it,’ ” Kasich said, referring to Balderson, who is facing a tough challenge from Democrat Danny O’Connor in a district Trump won by double digits.

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“I think Donald Trump decides where he wants to go, and I think they think they’re firing up the base,” Kasich added.

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Ohio Gov. John Kasich says he asked Troy Balderson, a Republican House candidate in Ohio, if he invited Pres. Trump to his campaign rally in Ohio and Balderson said, “no, I didn’t” https://t.co/P6iz1j1VA4 #ThisWeek pic.twitter.com/fAVzX1HsSu

— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) August 5, 2018

Trump spoke Saturday at a campaign rally for Balderson ahead of Tuesday’s special election, delivering a freewheeling speech in which he praised the “heroes” of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and dug into his attacks on the media.

“They’re talking about this blue wave. I don’t think so,” Trump said during the rally. “I think it could be a red wave.”

Trump is ramping up his rally appearances as the country heads into midterms, telling Fox News’s Sean Hannity that he would be campaigning “six or seven days a week” in the last two months of the campaign season.

Republican strategists have said that while Trump’s rally appearances can drive up his base’s energy, his “wild-card” behavior also has the potential to derail candidates’ agendas and keep the focus on him rather than elections.