Donald Trump’s running mate Mike Pence endorsed House Speaker Paul Ryan in his primary fight Wednesday, in Pence’s latest break in position from the billionaire businessman.
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On Wednesday, Pence, who is the Governor of IN, told Fox News that Ryan is an old friend and said that he is a “strong conservative leader”, who – if re-elected – will do “great things”.
Trump has not endorsed Paul Nehlen, but he made waves Tuesday, August 2nd when he said he wasn’t ready to endorse Ryan.
Indeed, Trump on Wednesday reported raising $80 million in July for his campaign and the Republican Party, a significant improvement from past months. Trump said the grieving father had “no right” to criticize him but later acknowledged their son is a hero.
“Wouldn’t that be embarrassing to lose to crooked Hillary Clinton?”
Trump also claimed Ryan had asked for his support, something Ryan’s aides denied.
Nehlen said he has not asked for Trump’s endorsement but would love to have it. “He takes every opportunity to take a shot at Mr. Trump”. “He’s irremediable”, said Republican strategist Rick Tyler, who previously worked for Trump adversary Texas Sen.
The dustup marked a significant crack in the hard alliance between Trump and the Republican establishment and raised the question of whether any GOP office holders who have endorsed the billionaire would rescind their support.
Instead, vulnerable Senate Republicans like Ayotte and McCain are trying to focus on running their own races and hoping voters will make a distinction between them and Trump, something some polls suggest may be happening.
Fox News is told that while some are pushing for a meeting, the “intervention” may end up consisting of a series of phone conversations with the candidate.
“Donald Trump has been very clear about opposing sanctuary cities”.
Ryan’s behavior amounts to sabotage, Nehlen said at a news conference.
The most powerful Republicans in Washington and New York’s Trump Tower concede things will not change unless Trump wants them to. Nehlen harshly criticized Ryan in a blog post about the House Speaker’s rebuke of Trump’s policy proposal to temporarily ban Muslims from entering the United States.
He wrote on Twitter: “There is great unity in my campaign, perhaps greater than ever before”.
That comes as he continues to face criticism from Republican lawmakers for attacking the Muslim-American parents of a U.S. Army captain killed in Iraq.
Trump has fallen behind Clinton in opinion polls made public since the parties held their nominating conventions last month. Clinton reported raising almost $90 million in July for her campaign and the Democratic Party, with more than half the donations coming from new donors.
“This is the first I’m hearing of that”, Manafort said.
He says Trump, “strongly encouraged me to endorse Paul Ryan in next Tuesday’s primary”.
Trump’s refusal to back the incumbents is a breach of political decorum that comes just two weeks after a convention created to showcase party unity.
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That may make it harder for Republican officeholders who, while they may want to back away from Trump, don’t want to be seen by the party’s base as aligning with the Democratic president.
