Ryan: Republicans should follow ‘conscience’ on Trump

“The Republicans are more united than people think”. All 247 House Republican seats are up for grabs in the election. “The closer it gets, they’ll get on board”, she said. Several polls that have come out in the past week show Hillary Clinton, a Democrat, pulling away from the polarizing businessman.

“The time for debate and argument among ourselves is past”, said Nguyen, a commissioner in neighboring Tarrant County. They are supporters of Senator Ted Cruz, Sen. “He’s a very unique nominee”, Ryan added. “Don’t miss out to be among Mr. Trump’s first endorsers! I endorsed what he stands for”. “The new campaign is being run by the only people who can actually make changes to party rules, rather than by pundits and media figures who have been pining for a Trump alternative”, Washington Post reporter Ed O’keefe alleges.

Kelly Arnold, chairman of the Kansas Republican Party and another member of the rules committee, told ABC News last week he is going to do “what’s in the best interest” of the GOP. “Rs will win in Nov!”

Trump, speaking Friday at a packed convention center in The Woodlands, Texas, not far from Houston, tried to play down the rift in the party and bragged about the money he’s raised in fundraisers across the state over the last two days, including an event Friday in San Antonio. The nominee-in-waiting wraps up his weeklong tour Saturday in Las Vegas and Phoenix. “But I feel as a responsibility institutionally as the speaker of the House that I should not be leading some chasm in the middle of our party”, he explained. He does favor a “threat test” for those coming into the U.S. More recently, there was Bill Kristol’s vow to recruit a third-party candidate, which failed to attract either a boldface name like Mitt Romney or a respected but obscure one like David French.

Many other prominent Republicans have said they will not support Trump in November, including former 2016 candidates Ohio Gov. John Kasich and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, as well as the rest of the Bush family.

Trump must still survive any last-minute efforts to derail his candidacy at the Republican National Convention that will be held July 18-21 in Cleveland.

Basically, the plan involves changing the rules of the convention so that delegates can vote for whomever they want.

There is some question as to how much influence Republican politicians have with rank-and-file voters.

“I won nearly 14 million votes, which is by far more votes than any candidate in the history of the Republican primaries”, Trump stated in response to the Washington Post’s report about the alleged coup.

After an initial delay, Ryan has said he will back Trump but he has also acknowledged deep differences with him.

“In fact, it’s a badge of honor to them”, Luntz said.