Kasich launches new ad criticizing Trump

Ohio Gov. John Kasich (Paul Sancya, AP)

AMES, Iowa — Ohio Gov. John Kasich took a swing at fellow Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump

“You know I’m having a little problem with one of the candidates for president,” he told the group of about 70 people at Monday’s town hall at Iowa State University. “If you’re going to attack women, if you’re going to attack … Hispanics, if you’re going to attack Muslims, you’re going to attack somebody who has a disability — that’s not what we want in a leader is it? I don’t think anybody wants that. So we need to move beyond that. And we need to move beyond all the anger.”

His campaign launched an ad with similar rhetoric Monday. The spot, which was produced by the campaign in-house and will only air on YouTube, shows Trump giving a speech in which he appears to mock a physically disabled reporter before asking whether Trump is “worthy” to serve as president.

It follows a similar ad

He told reporters after his question-and-answer session that the ads are not intended to be personal attacks on Trump.

“It’s about what I think we need to be able to lead the country,” he said. “And I think there’s a lot of people that are glad that I’m finally speaking out, because nobody else is. It’s a call to unify, not to divide.”

Trump began criticizing Kasich during October’s GOP debatelaunching barbs against the governor in Iowa

“John Kasich should focus his special interest money on building up his failed image, not negative ads on me,” Trump tweeted

Kasich on Monday lamented the polarization of the country and said he is the person who can bridge the partisan divide to unite the country.

“We’ve gotten to the point in this country where if somebody doesn’t think the way I think, we question their patriotism. We question their motives,” he said. “We don’t want to live like that.”

Pfannenstiel reports for The Des Moines Register.