WASHINGTON -- Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) would rather not talk about an old rape allegation against real estate mogul Donald Trump.
"Just let it go. Move on. Talk about something else," Kasich, a 2016 Republican presidential candidate, said in an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer.
"I don't like to see this happen to anybody," he added. "It's a painful story for him, for his former wife, for his kids. That shouldn't be what we’re doing in this business."
The Daily Beast on Monday brought to light a deposition from the early 1990s in which Trump's ex-wife, Ivana Trump, alleged that the presidential candidate had violently assaulted her. Donald Trump had previously denied the claim, and Ivana Trump issued a statement Tuesday saying the story was "without merit," and describing the two as “the best of friends.”
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), another GOP presidential hopeful, on Tuesday declined to comment on the matter given its "personal nature."
As the most recent candidate in the race, Kasich has largely stuck to an optimistic message of balancing budgets and taking a compassionate approach to social welfare. In his announcement speech earlier this month, the governor called for more funding to treat drug and alcohol addiction.
A new poll of New Hampshire Republican voters on Monday offered some good news for Kasich. According to the Monmouth University survey, the governor ranks third in the early primary state, with 7 percent support, behind Donald Trump and Jeb Bush.