John Kasich refuses to board the Trump Train: 'I just can't do it'

Donald Trump's polling numbers for the general election are dropping with every word he says. Perhaps that is why Ohio Governor John Kasich isn't willing to endorse Trump for president.

"You know, it's painful. It's painful. You know, people even get divorces, you know? I mean, sometimes, things come out that, look, I'm sorry that this has happened," Kasich said on MSNBC's "Morning Joe." "But we'll see where it ends up. I'm not making any final decision yet, but at this point, I just can't do it."

Scarborough asked if Kasich would recommend House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) renounce their support of Trump. "You know politics. They don't care what I think," Kasich said. "It's up to him," Kasich said later, specifically about Paul Ryan.

"I would say that I think Paul Ryan is definitely torn," he continued. "I mean, he's also the leader of the House. There's this thing called Republican loyalty. I've been a Republican all my life, how do you think I feel about this? I'm the Republican governor of Ohio. It's difficult."

"I know as governor of Ohio, with some people who pound on me, I said I'm not prepared to do it and he's going to have to change," Kasich said.

Kasich told Fox News last week it was "hard to say" whether he would support Trump for president at July's Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio.

He also pointed the finger at Scarborough and the media for perpetuating Donald Trump's popularity with so much free media.

"The media gave him two billion dollars worth of free press,” Kasich blamed. “I mean, I could be having a press conference and they’d have an empty podium with Trump speaking there. I mean, look, you guys have a lot of responsibility for this. You know it too. You all know it, you know?”

“One famous network executive said, ‘Well, you know, Trump may not be good for the country but he’s good for our ratings, and we make more money.’ I think the elites have let us down in a lot of places, and I think, you know, two billion dollars worth of free press? You couldn’t get enough of it,” Kasich continued.

Scarborough challenged Kasich asking if there was ever a time he wanted to be on but they didn't let him, but Kasich said it wasn't specifically "Morning Joe," rather it was coverage in general.

“The thing about Trump was, though, he’d just pick up the phone and call,” Scarborough claimed. “You could attack him, he’d pick up the phone and call. Trump knew how to play the press.”

Kasich wasn’t having it. “Look, it was all ratings. Come on, who’s kidding who?” He continued that if he had called into Morning Joe there wouldn't have been any ratings.

“That’s not true–” Scarborough claimed.

“Hey, Joe, come one, now you’re not leveling with me...” Kasich slapped back. “You know that there was a lot of fixation on him by the media, which is changing now.”

“Well, when the guy would say outrageous things...” Scarborough tried to explain.

“So you focused on it,” Kasich finished for him. “That’s my point.”

Watch a clip of the interview below: