Others, like Rep. Bill Posey of the Space Coast and Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Okeechobee, whose district includes part of Lee County, offer more tepid backing, saying they’ll support “the nominee” without volunteering much beyond that. Clawson had initially endorsed Kentucky Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who told reporters Wednesday that Trump has not been in touch with him.
Advertisement
Normally, Jones said, a candidate like Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to win the GOP nomination.
While many upper echelon party figures including 2012 nominee Mitt Romney and the two Bush presidents are opposed to Trump, some lawmakers were calling for Ryan to honor the will of voters and align with him.
“There’s nothing to learn from them”, Trump said.
Donald Trump, GOP nomination virtually in hand, is planning a general election campaign that banks heavily on his personal appeal and trademark rallies while spurning the kind of sophisticated data operation that was a centerpiece of Barack Obama’s winning White House runs. Also telling will be results of today’s Republican primaries in West Virginia and Nebraska. Even so, a showdown could be an embarrassment Trump would seek to avoid by not pushing divisive changes.
It’s an awkward dance being played out by Republicans across the country. You know, something that the Federalist Society and the Heritage folks – you know, solid names that we can say, okay, this is what this is about. “There’s plenty of room for policy disputes in this party”.
“While Republican voters have chosen Donald Trump as the presumptive GOP nominee, my previously stated reservations about his campaign and concerns with many of his policies remain unchanged”, Rubio said. During an interview on CNN Tuesday, he also sounded conflicted.
“He’s the nominee. I’ll do whatever he wants with respect to the convention”.
Indeed, both sides say they will move forward in a “partnership”, even as some top Republican leaders and donors continue to resist Trump’s candidacy. I intend to live up to the pledge that we made. Here is a person who was born into huge wealth, but uses his father’s fortune to rip people off and intimidate those who speak out against his shady business practices, Reid alleged.
He’ll first meet with House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin, and Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus at the RNC at 9 a.m. Trump will then meet with Ryan and the other members on his leadership team: House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-California, House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, R-Louisiana, Republican Conference Chair Cathy McMorris-Rodgers, R-Washington, and Deputy Majority Whip Patrick McHenry, R-North Carolina.
Ross, a one-time Bush supporter who represents the Tampa suburbs and Lakeland, said failing to support Trump amounts to endorsing a third term for President Obama – in the form of Clinton or, much less likely, Sen. We are in this campaign to win the Democratic nomination.’ Sanders acknowledged, however that he faces an uphill climb. “He’s starting at a substantial organizational disadvantage to Hillary Clinton”, Michael Malbin, executive director of the nonpartisan Campaign Finance Institute, told CNBC. He said Monday he planned to focus on helping his constituents.
“I think he’s a very smart, reasonable, honorable man, who is trying to get his party organized and whole again”, Lynn Westphal, a 55-year-old nurse and self-described independent, said of Ryan.
It is important not to overstate the case, however, as Gallup is showing that only 31 percent of Republicans have an unfavorable view of Trump.
Advertisement
“I think they’ve concluded from Trump’s blunt style that he wasn’t sophisticated”, Sessions said. “Well the risk of not getting behind the nominee is that the American people will feel what they’re already saying: that Washington doesn’t get it; they’re not listening to us; they’re disconnected. I hope he really tries to clarify some of his thoughts and be a true conservative in thought and deed”.
