The GOP nominee spent Monday and Tuesday repeatedly going after the speaker, even at the risk of turning off Republican voters in the election.
Advertisement
They appear to be failing.
Trump erupted a day after Ryan told House Republicans he would no longer defend or campaign with the GOP nominee in the wake of the fallout over a tape in which Trump is heard making vulgar comments about women.
Pro-Trump protesters clogged the sidewalk in front of the RNC’s Capitol Hill headquarters on Monday.
Meanwhile in Miami, Al Gore laid out the environmental stakes of the presidential race in stark terms during a campaign stop for Hillary Clinton Tuesday, arguing that electing her opponent would lead to “climate catastrophe”.
Some of that rancor will depend on whether Trump is in a position to continue attacking Ryan and other Republicans.
On ABC’s “Good Morning America”, Conway was asked Wednesday about Trump’s repeated suggestions that he’d use the power of the presidency to put Clinton behind bars for alleged misdeeds.
At least 30 Republican governors and lawmakers, including Senator McCain, the 2008 Republican presidential nominee, had so far made clear that they would not vote for Trump. “I intend to support the nominee of our party”.
“The difference between Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell is that Paul Ryan’s running for president, and Mitch McConnell’s not”, the member continued, referring to a potential 2020 race.
Ryan also said his campaign committee has transferred $750,000 to the Republican Party of Wisconsin to help with the GOP ground game this fall.
After McCain dropped his support, Trump took the defensive and said that McCain is more “foul mouthed” and that he also begged for Trump’s support in his own primaries. One described how Trump raised the arm rest between them on a plane and began groping her “like an octopus”, she said. Trump who apologized for the comments in Sunday night’s debate has dismissed their remarks and said now he is free to run against the GOP establishment as well as the Democrats.
Trump is ready to amp up his rhetoric and attacks in the final month before Election Day.
Next Page: Why anger at the “Access Hollywood” comments is misplaced. He later said in an interview with Fox News host Bill O’Reilly he neither wanted nor needed Ryan’s support. He said Ryan “had a bad conference call where his members went wild at his disloyalty”. “He’s been wishy-washy from the start”.
“I give up. I’m totally walking out and disappointed, and the last 72 hours I have lost sleep over it”, the fundraiser said.
There are now 246 House Republicans, plus a vacant seat they seem likely to retain.
But even if enough 2016 GOP hopefuls manage to steer their way across the finish line and maintain control of Congress, it seems clear that the Republican Party, its elected leaders, its nominee and, most important, its supporters across the country look to remain splintered even on November 9.
Republican Sen. Deb Fischer of Nebraska called just days ago for Trump to step aside because of his remarks about imposing himself on women.
Despite the new level of controversy surrounding him, Republican consultants generally believe that Trump has a core of supporters who will not abandon him. In the conference call with Ryan, California Rep. Dana Rohrabacher called GOP leaders “cowards”, according to one participant, who like others, wasn’t authorized to be quoted by name and demanded anonymity.
AshLee Strong, Ryan’s spokeswoman, said Wednesday that Ryan is “fighting to ensure we hold a strong majority next Congress, and he is always working to earn the respect and support of his colleagues”.
Stewart was sacked immediately after the gathering as Trump’s staff worked to downplay intra-party tensions.
Advertisement
Reed said he spoke with Trump campaign representatives last weekend to register his concern.
