The Republican nominee, Donald Trump, declined on Tuesday to endorse the re-election campaign of the House speaker, Paul Ryan, the highest-ranking member of his party in Washington.
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Trump said he is “not quite there yet” in backing Ryan, echoing the words the Wisconsin Republican used several months ago in withholding his endorsement of Trump before relenting weeks later with tepid support.
Sources close to the campaign are describing a series of missteps that are trailing the GOP presidential nominee, most prominently his now multi-day battle against Khizr Khan, the Muslim father of a killed U.S. soldier.
It is the latest rift in a party already frayed by internal dissent over its standard bearer, seen in stark relief at the convention where McCain was among high-level party members who essentially snubbed Trump by choosing not to attend.
Ryan faces Paul Nehlen in Wisconsin next week.
President Barack Obama blasted Trump as unfit to be president and questioned why any Republican would support the NY businessman seeking his first public office. “We need fighters in this country”. And I’m just not quite there yet.
An Associated Press reporter later asked Pence if he would endorse McCain or Ryan while the candidate was signing autographs and posing for selfies with supporters.
One of those sources, who has spoken on Trump’s behalf, said Trump should go further and apologize to “all military families”.
Ryan and Republican Senate Majority Leader McConnell have offered support to the Khans, but no Republican leaders have withdrawn their support for Trump as the party’s presidential pick. Donald Trump’s refusal to back McCain and others in the party for re-election is a remarkable break in political decorum, but one that matches in some way their own hesitance to fully back their own party’s nominee for president.
“Neither Speaker Ryan nor anyone on his team has ever asked for Donald Trump’s endorsement”, said Zack Roday, Ryan’s campaign spokesman.
John McCain said “I hope Americans understand that the remarks do not represent the views of our Republican Party, its officers, or candidates”. “He has not done a good job for the vets and I’ve always felt he should have done a much better job for the vets”. Kelly Ayotte, who also admonished Trump for his comments. In a statement, Nehlen wrote a point-by-point defense of Trump’s response to the Khans and stance on terrorism. We don’t need weak people.
McCain is a locked in a three-way race ahead of an August 30 primary.
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Clinton extended her lead over Trump to 8 percentage points, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Tuesday, from 6 points on Friday. “But Kelly Ayotte has given me zero support, and I’m doing great in New Hampshire”. The Democrat reported raising almost $90 million in July for her campaign and the Democratic Party, with more than half the donations coming from new donors.
