State elections chief fact-checks former GOP governor after he downplays Trump's actions

28 October

Former Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) and Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold (D) on October 28, 2025 (Image: Screengrab via MSNBC / YouTube)

One former Republican governor got a real-time lesson from a sitting Democratic secretary of state about how President Donald Trump's rhetoric and policies are impacting poll workers.

During a Tuesday segment on MSNBC, former Ohio Gov. John Kasich suggested that Trump critics' fears of the administration disrupting the 2026 election were overblown. He insisted that leaders on both sides of the political aisle confided to him that they had no expectation of any federal interference in next fall's midterms.

"I talk to these political figures all acrossthe country on a bipartisanbasis. And the fact is, nobodyis saying to me, we're notgoing to have one guy tell mehe's really worried aboutwhat's going to happen in 2026.And that was because of thedeployment of ICE in Chicago," Kasich said. "Idon't want any of those peopleat the polling places. Keep themaway. But do I think that we'regoing to be okay."

The former two-term governor predicted that Democrats would win back a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives despite Republicans' mid-decade gerrymandering of congressional districts. He added that Trump was simply a "guy" who "says a lot of things."

"We had a good lastelection. I think we'll have agood midterm," he said. "And so do I worrythat we're just about to losedemocracy in this country? I'mreally not. I'm not really I'mnot sitting here saying, 'oh my God, what's going to happen to America? I think we're going tobe okay, I do."

At that point, Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold (D), who was also on the segment, interjected. She told Kasich that while she "appreciated" his confidence in a trustworthy election, she reminded him that Trump had done multiple things that make election officials' jobs that much more difficult.

"I would encourage you totalk to more Democraticsecretaries of state. Just togive you a snapshot of Colorado, we've had a 39 percent turnover inelected county clerks since2020, in a large part becauseof the threat environment," Griswold said. "Justthis year, Trump's firstactions were to freeinsurrectionists, one who has now threatened [House Minority Leader Hakeem] Jeffries."

"He has disbanded a lot of thefederal support we used to haveto combat cyber attacks, he'sweaponizing the DOJ against Democratic secretaries of stateto undermine our elections, andthat list goes on and on and on," she continued. "I think we're going to havegood elections in 2026 andelections that hold, but itwill be because of bravery and sheer willpower of elected officials on the right side of history."

Trump has already sent signals that his administration may interfere in the 2026 election. He announced recently that the DOJ would be sending election observers to California and New Jersey ahead of their statewide elections this fall, even though there are no federal races on the ballot.

Watch the segment below:

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

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