--- title: Why the John Kasich-Ted Cruz Alliance Didn't Work description: Donald Trump's California kick-off was marred by violence. Bernie Sanders focuses on the Democratic platform. Boehner blasts Ted Cruz. canonical: https://time.com/4312163/why-the-john-kasich-ted-cruz-alliance-didnt-work/ author: Zeke Miller article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-04-29T14:28:09.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-05T08:50:21.362Z article:section: Politics og:title: Why the John Kasich-Ted Cruz Alliance Didn't Work og:description: Donald Trump's California kick-off was marred by violence. Bernie Sanders focuses on the Democratic platform. Boehner blasts Ted Cruz. og:url: https://time.com/4312163/why-the-john-kasich-ted-cruz-alliance-didnt-work/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt335a4621728d2921/6988912de20a879e02a90a2c/cruz-kasich-failed-alliance1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3000 og:image:height: 1688 og:image:alt: cruz-kasich-failed-alliance og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Why the John Kasich-Ted Cruz Alliance Didn't Work twitter:description: Donald Trump's California kick-off was marred by violence. Bernie Sanders focuses on the Democratic platform. Boehner blasts Ted Cruz. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt335a4621728d2921/6988912de20a879e02a90a2c/cruz-kasich-failed-alliance1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Why the John Kasich-Ted Cruz Alliance Didn't Work > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=aaa6d35c-fe3e-4b0c-95f3-725ea979d77e&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Mary Pat Christie During Trump's "Woman's Card" Comment [Watch (HLS stream): Mary Pat Christie During Trump's "Woman's Card" Comment](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/XfXFSXJ0.m3u8) (0:29)  _Published 2016-04-28_ by [Zeke Miller](https://time.com/author/zeke-j-miller/) ## Zeke Miller Apr 29, 2016 2:28 PM UTC by [Zeke Miller](https://time.com/author/zeke-j-miller/) ## Zeke Miller Apr 29, 2016 2:28 PM UTC **Donald Trump**‘s California kick-off was marred by scenes of violence Thursday night, as protesters smashed windows, stomped on police cars and scuffled with Trump supporters. The incidents have become all-to-familiar and are likely to continue as Trump moves closer to the GOP nomination. At his California rally, Trump showed no signs of adjusting his rhetoric to appeal to the broader electorate, repeating many of the same incendiary statements that have become a staple of his stump speech—including [a debunked story of General John Pershing shooting Muslims with pig’s blood](http://time.com/4235405/donald-trump-pig-blood-muslims-story/). The alliance between **John Kasich** and **Ted Cruz** is proving to be more of a distraction than a benefit, as the two candidates face questions about their tenuous truce daily and still lob barbs at one another. Kasich appeared at an Indiana fundraiser earlier this week, even though he’s no longer campaigning in the state, and Cruz leads Kasich in a new Oregon poll—a state that the Texan traded to the Ohio governor. As his pathway to the nomination evaporates, **Bernie Sanders** is turning his focus to the Democratic platform, but he’ll face the same obstacles that have plagued his presidential run. Hillary Clinton will control all the key convention committees, making Sanders’ legacy play less likely to succeed. John Boehner blasts Cruz. Rubio warns on Zika. And Fiorina’s missing California network. Here are your must-reads: **Must Reads** [Bernie Sanders Looks to Promote His Ideas at Democratic Convention](http://time.com/4310640/bernie-sanders-convention-democratic-platform-policy-agenda/) But he’ll run into a familiar foe—Hillary Clinton \[TIME\] [Clashes Follow Trump Rally in California ](http://time.com/4312137/clashes-follow-trump-rally-in-california/)Violence following front-runner’s event \[Associated Press\] [Trump Begins California Campaign With Raw Performance in O.C. ](http://www.latimes.com/local/politics/la-na-trump-rally-california-20160429-story.html)No pivot to being presidential \[LA Times\] [Cruz’s Latest Fight With Fellow Republicans Is a Reminder: Many Don’t Like the Guy ](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/cruzs-latest-fight-with-fellow-republicans-is-a-reminder-many-dont-like-the-guy/2016/04/28/823f586c-0d57-11e6-bfa1-4efa856caf2a%5Fstory.html)The GOP outsider needs the insiders \[Washington Post\] [Larry Wilmore Is Not Joking Around ](http://www.politico.com/story/2016/04/larry-wilmore-white-house-correspondents-dinner-222611)The 2016 White House Correspondents Dinner comedian is sharpening his barbs, mostly for use on Trump \[Politico\] **Sound Off** “There is no alliance. Kasich and I made a determination where to focus our energies. Where to focus our assets, where to focus our resources.” — Ted Cruz on his alliance with John Kasich “Sometimes both Josh and I probably have our disagreements with the press corps, and feel picked on or misunderstood, but the truth of the matter is—and I’ve said this before—what separates us out in part from a lot of other countries in the world is we’ve got this incredible free press that pokes and prods and calls into account our leaders.” — President Obama addressing college reporters at the White House **Bits and Bites** [Boehner Calls Cruz “Lucifer in the Flesh”](http://www.stanforddaily.com/2016/04/28/john-boehner-talks-election-time-in-office/) \[Stanford Daily\] [Koch-Linked Vets’ Group Targets the Debt as Security Issue](http://time.com/4310241/concerned-veterans-america-target-debt-koch-brothers/) \[TIME\] [Ted Cruz Says He Doesn’t Actually Have an Alliance With John Kasich](http://time.com/4311549/ted-cruz-john-kasich-alliance/) \[TIME\] [Trump Repeats False Pig’s Blood Story at California Rally](http://time.com/4312131/donald-trump-pigs-blood-muslim-story/) \[TIME\] [Carly Fiorina’s Missing California Network](http://www.politico.com/story/2016/04/carly-fiorinas-missing-california-network-222614) \[Politico\] [It’s Time To Freak Out Over Zika, Marco Rubio Warns GOP](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/marco-rubio-gop-zika%5Fus%5F572245e8e4b01a5ebde4d100) \[Huffington Post\] ## Transcript Well, I think the only card she has is the woman's card. She's got nothing else going and frankly, if Hillary Clinton were a man, I don't think she'd get 5 % of the vote. The only thing she's got going is the women's card. And the beautiful thing is, women don't like her. Okay, and look how well I did with women tonight, okay. [ APPLAUSE ] So ladies and gentlemen, thank you. Thank you very much, I appreciate it. Thank you. 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