Trump on Friday evening said in Wisconsin that he would back Ryan in his Republican primary against Paul Nehlen, a little-known challenger.
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“And we may disagree on a couple of things, but mostly we agree, and we’re gonna get it done. We have to make them”, Trump said.
Trump earlier in the week had declined to endorse Ryan and McCain, as well as New Hampshire Sen. “John McCain for his service to our country in uniform and in public office, and I fully support and endorse his re-election”, said Trump, before backing Ayotte.
Ryan brushed off Trump’s non-endorsement, adding: “The only endorsements I want are those of my own employers here in the First Congressional District, and that’s really what my focus is”.
Many Republicans, including Mr Ryan, Mr McCain and Ms Ayotte, were critical of Mr Trump’s insistent attacks on the parents.
Although Trump essentially clinched the nomination in early May when rivals John Kasich and Ted Cruz dropped out of the running for the GOP’s presidential nomination, Ryan waited until June to offer his endorsement of Trump.
While Ryan is expected to win his primary contest in a landslide this yea, his opponent, businessman Paul Nehlen, who share similar tones as that of Trump has gained support from the fringes of the Republican party. “I love babies”, he told the crowd.
“She’s a monster, okay”, said Trump.
Trump’s endorsement of McCain came as the celebrity billionaire struck a rare note of party unity at the Green Bay rally.
Trump’s language was reminiscent of the words Ryan used when he refused to back Trump in May, saying: “I’m just not ready to do that at this point”.
Mr Ryan, who is the party’s highest-ranking elected official, had himself long delayed endorsing Mr Trump.
Trump has been expressing his outrage about a $400-million (360-million-euro) payment the United States made to Iran earlier this year, which was delivered on the same day Iran released four Americans they had detained. And I’m just not quite there yet.
He dismissed questions about Trump withholding his endorsement during several radio interviews Friday morning. He has skipped from one misstep to the next, sparking a fresh wave of Republican defections among longtime party loyalists who refuse to support their presidential nominee -some even publicly support Clinton.
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Ryan has criticized Trump’s proposed ban on Muslims entering the USA and said it was racist for him to suggest that a judge’s Mexican ancestry made it impossible for him to be impartial in a civil fraud suit against Trump.
