GOP on Trump: To Support or Not Support

Shortly after the last primary, Donald Trump’s two rivals—Ted Cruz and John Kaisch—officially dropped out of the race. This left Trump as the presumptive nominee (although he has not yet won the 1,237 delegates needed to take it outright). But the bigger obstacle the billionaire candidate faces is the official vote by his party, which is scheduled to take place during the GOP convention in July. As we get closer to the convention in Cleveland, Ohio, Election Central brings you a wrap-up of what prominent members of the party have said about Trump.

Current Leadership

• Paul Ryan In a recent interview with CNN, the Speaker of the House said that he was “just not ready” to endorse Trump. He did agree to a sit-down meeting with the billionaire. Despite having run as Mitt Romney’s running mate in 2012, Ryan is believed to be more concerned with “preserving the Republican Party” than he is furthering his career and does not generally agree with Trump’s vision.
• Mitch McConnell The Senate Majority Leader made a short statement in support of Trump, but many see it as more of a way to keep Hillary Clinton from moving into the White House (a “third term of Barack Obama,” he claims) than a true alliance with the real estate mogul.
• Reince Priebus As the chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC), Priebus is expected to comment on Trump. He did so, telling conservative talk show host Mike Gallagher that the presumptive nominee would not rewrite the Republican Party platform (despite Trump’s public comments to the contrary). Many are calling Priebus naive for this belief.

Former 2016 Opponents

• Chris Christie The New Jersey governor was one of the first of Trump’s former GOP contenders to openly support the New Yorker. Many believe this is a strategic move to either become Trump’s running mate, or otherwise enhance his own political career. Regardless of the motivation, Christie and Trump have a long friendship.
• Ben Carson Like Christie, the retired neurosurgeon gave Trump his support shortly after suspending his own campaign. Carson has not opposed the possibility of being chosen as Trump’s running mate, but has admitted that he does not have the government experience needed.
• Others? Of the remainder of the former GOP contenders, Rick Perry, Mike Huckabee, Marco Rubio, Rand Paul, Jim Gillmore, and Scott Walker have offered Trump varying degrees of support. Those publicly opposed include Lindsey Graham and Carly Fiorina (who engaged in a recent Twitter war with The Donald and was also Cruz’s chosen vice presidential running mate for six days). Recent rivals Ted Cruz and John Kasich have yet to come out publicly on whether they will support Trump.

Former Party Leadership

• The Bushes Former presidents George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, and former GOP candidate (and Florida governor) Jeb Bush have all publicly said that they will not only not support Trump, they will also not vote for him. Former First Lady Barbara Bush has publicly scolded the real estate giant, while most recent GOP First Lady Laura Bush, in a speech at a luncheon, made some wonder if might endorse Clinton!
• Mitt Romney The 2012 GOP nominee has been very vocal about his opposition to Trump, saying that, “the person who is leading the nation has an enormous and disproportional impact on the course of the world.” While some had hoped that Romney would be a possible candidate during a contested convention, Romney said that he won’t even attend the Cleveland gathering.
• John McCain Early in the campaign, Trump disrespected McCain when he publicly questioned the Arizona senator’s status as a war hero. But the fact that McCain is himself up for reelection in the Senate may influence McCain’s actions. Regardless of his motivation, Senator McCain has also said that he won’t attend the GOP convention.
• Sarah Palin An early supporter, the former VP candidate has said that she will not consider being Trump’s running mate because she didn’t want to be a “burden” to his campaign. However, she has been vocal in her criticism of Paul Ryan’s reluctance to back Trump.

Dig Deeper Some commentators have accused prominent members of the Republican Party for making their decision about Trump based on self-interest rather than principle. Do some research and find out what they mean by this. Do you agree or disagree? Explain your answer.