Doing otherwise would potentially risk losing his August 30 primary in Arizona, a state that Trump won handily during the Republican primaries. Yet their party’s presidential nominee would not bless them in an interview with The Washington Post on Tuesday.
Advertisement
“I like Paul, but these are awful times for our country”, Trump told the newspaper.
“We need loyal people in this country”, Trump added in the interview. “We need fighters in this country”. On Tuesday, Trump told The Washington Post that he was “not quite there yet” in endorsing Ryan in his House primary next week, mimicking Ryan’s infamous “I’m not there yet” response when asked in May whether he would endorse Trump.
Ryan’s “opponent is a big fan of what I’m saying – big fan”, Trump told The Post.
Those are nearly the exact same words Ryan, the speaker of the house and arguably the most prominent Republican lawmaker in the country, used earlier this year when he was waffling on formally endorsing Trump for president.
Ryan gave a speech at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland as a sign of party unity between the two leaders. Trump rewarded Nehlen, who is facing off against Ryan’s massive war chest, with a shout-out on Twitter. Trump’s phrasing of his uncertainty about Ryan – “I’m just not quite there yet” – echoes what Ryan told CNN’s Jake Tapper in a May interview about endorsing Trump: “I’m just not ready to do that at this point”.
In making his comments Tuesday, Trump may have been seeking retribution for Ryan’s dragging his feet about endorsing Trump in May.
“Neither Speaker Ryan nor anyone on his team has ever asked for Donald Trump’s endorsement”, said Zack Roday, Ryan’s campaign spokesman. “And we are confident in a victory next week regardless”. “I’m just not there right now”.
Ayotte declared she was “appalled” by Trump’s spat with the Khans.
Ryan has disagreed with Trump several times – including over his proposed temporary ban on Muslims entering the U.S. and his remarks about a Hispanic federal judge – and during the weekend indirectly took issue with Trump’s belittling of the parents of U.S. Army Captain Humayun Khan, killed in Iraq in 2004.
McCain in particular was harsh, saying Trump did not have an “unfettered license to defame those who are the best among us”.
The Arizona senator is meeting with Trump’s running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, for a pre-scheduled meeting in Arizona on Tuesday.
Trump previewed some hostility toward Ryan in a tweet praising Nehlen on Monday after the businessman praised Trump and recently tweeted articles and comments supporting the GOP nominee.
Trump thanked Nehlen on Monday night for defending him in a controversy regarding Trump’s criticism aimed at a Gold Star family. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., specifically. Neither Ayotte nor McCain have endorsed Trump, though Ayotte has said she will “support” Trump.
Advertisement
“I’ve never been there with John McCain because I’ve always felt that he should have done a much better job for the vets”, Trump continued.
