GOP Chair Warns That ‘Never Trump’ Forces Could Help Clinton

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus on Sunday sought to downplay the policy gulfs between Donald Trump and his newly minted running mate, Mike Pence, on issues like trade, the Iraq War and Trump’s proposed Muslim ban.

Priebus also addressed for the first time the inclusion on the speaking program of PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel, believed to be the first openly gay speaker featured on a National Republican Convention stage.

“We’re putting the specific schedule together, but the point that Chairman Priebus was making is that we are not isolating our campaign to just segments of the population”, Manafort said on CBS’ “Face the Nation”.

“That package right there over the last 10 days should tell you a lot about his pivot to the general”, Priebus said. “I wasn’t sure you were talking about Pence”, the RNC chairman said, as he tried to explain his previous response about the trade divide.

“I think we’re in the same place”, he said. “That’s Donald Trump’s position. He understands we need to grow the party”.

There’s no doubt that plenty of red, white and blue balloons will cascade down from the ceiling before the convention is over, and that there will be plenty of oohs and ahs over the sleek convention set design and music. “I’m serious. I think Thursday night is a really big deal for our party. I said, ‘Who did he endorse?'”

Trump called Pence his “partner” and “a man of honor”, and Pence called Trump a “builder”, a “fighter”, and a “patriotic American”.

Months ago, Trump forcefully called for a temporary ban of all foreign Muslims entering the U.S.as a means to prevent terrorist attacks from radical Islamic groups. Sixty-seven percent said they favored Clinton’s bid for president, while only 19 percent said they support Trump.

He acknowledged that this election cycle, which has included clashes at Trump rallies between supporters and protesters, has “obviously been a politically charged environment”. “Trump will get the redneck blood churning, and we’ll keep all the government power that goes with the presidency, especially in the states”. It’s Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton…. He insists he could defeat ISIS and other terrorist threats in short order.

“It is about terrorism”, he said. “This is a person that has never run for public office”. For all his tough talk, he has provided remarkably few and skimpy details of how he would achieve his ambitious goals.

“No, he has said that he’s changed”, Priebus replied. Even after he had publicly disclosed his choice of Pence, Trump fretted that the governor wasn’t exciting enough and might not mesh well with his campaign.

Notably, he said the party isn’t explicitly against single-parent families: “The best scenario for kids is a loving mom and dad”. He said he delayed the announcement out of consideration for the tragic killings in Nice.