Kasich says phasing out Obamacare “a bad idea”

MUNICH (AP) — Ohio Gov. John Kasich says he supports repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act but thinks a plan floated by Congressional Republicans last week to phase out the expanded Medicaid program that’s providing health care coverage to previously uninsured Ohioans is a “very bad idea.”

Kasich’s comments came during an appearance Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union” broadcast from Munich, where he’s attending an international security conference.

He says one-third of the 700,000 Ohioans who have gotten medical coverage under the expanded program have mental health and substance abuse problems and “to turn our backs on them makes no sense.”

Kasich also defended the role of the free press two days after President Donald Trump called the news media “the enemy of the American People!” on Twitter.