Donald Truump revelas bombastic instability on a daily basis

Even an obsessed blogger like me who blasts Donald Trump nearly twie a day is having a tough time to stay ahead of all the Trumponian instabilities.  The man is dangerous and not qualified to lead, plus, every indication is that his behavior is decompensating. In other words, he's getting worse.

In any given 24 hour news cycle, Donald Trump tells the media so many  lies it's tragically impossible to keep the truth going, because the next lie is an incredulous surprise.  

Not only are the impending lies incredulous, but they're too unbelievalbe to conceptualize a coherent response. For example, "Judge who ruled to open Trump University files is Mexican", lies Donald Trump.  

Well, here's a picture of the judge Donald Trump wrongly attacked:

Judge Gonzalo Curiel

Born in Indiana

Gonzalo Paul Curiel is a United States District Judge for the United States District Court for the Southern District of California.
Born: 1953, United States of America
Education: Indiana University Maurer School of Law, Indiana University Bloomington

With Trump attack on 'Mexican' judge, has he hit a new low?
By Dean Obeidallah a former attorney, is the host of SiriusXM's weekly program "The Dean Obeidallah Show," a columnist for The Daily Beast and editor of the politics blog The Dean's Report. Follow him on Twitter: @TheDeansreport.  

(CNN) Has Donald Trump reached an alarming new low? (I submit he started his low when he was held accountable by Megyn Kelly:

"Megyn Kelly to Donald Trump: 'You've called women you don't like fat pigs, slobs – and disgusting animals.'"

On Friday, during his campaign rally in San Diego, Trump ripped into federal Judge Gonzalo Curiel who is presiding over one of the two class action lawsuits pending against Trump University and Trump, personally, for allegedly defrauding thousands of people out of money in connection with the now defunct school.

Trump dedicated an incredible 12 minutes of his campaign speech to slam Curiel. 

First, Trump demanded the judge recuse himself because he was a "hater" who had been nominated by President Obama. Then, only a short time after the crowd had been chanting "build that wall," Trump told his rabid fans that Curiel was a "Mexican." But then Trump added, "I think that's fine." (For those who care about actual facts, Curiel is not Mexican; he was born in Indiana.)

If Curiel's Latino heritage was "fine," then why did Trump bring it up at all? Simple: Trump was telling his supporters that Curiel is not one of us, rather he's a "Mexican." He's an other. This has been a central theme in Trump's divisive presidential campaign. After all, Trump kicked off his campaign last year claiming -- despite having no factual support -- that Mexico was sending "rapists" and people who are "bringing drugs" to our country.
Republican politicians slamming federal judges is nothing new. 

We have seen it time and time again with conservatives attacking "judicial activism," such as when Ted Cruz and Mike Huckabee went ballistic over the U.S. Supreme Court decision on same-sex marriage. 

And to be fair, Democrats like President Obama have been publicly critical of the Republicans, who until recently held a majority on the Supreme Court, and struck down portions of the Voting Rights Act in 2013.

But the difference is that both the Republicans and Democrats who have publicly criticized judges in the past have been focused on constitutional issues that impact countless Americans. 

That's not what Trump is talking about here. 

Rather, Trump is only concerned how this lawsuit will impact one, person, Donald J. Trump.

To be clear, Trump is facing personal liability in this case as well as the other two cases involving Trump University, one in New York and another in California. In 2013, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman filed a $40 million civil lawsuit against Trump personally and the school on behalf of 5,000 former students who had allegedly been defrauded. Schneiderman called Trump 

University "a bait and switch scheme" and noted that Trump could personally face millions in civil penalties under New York law. A separate federal class action lawsuit not connected to Curiel is also still pending in California. 

It alleges that Trump engaged in racketeering in violation of the RICO statute.

If Curiel were truly biased, Trump would have a point. 

But that's simply not the case. Curiel is not some Democratic activist nominated by President Obama in 2011 to the federal bench as payback for his years of political service. Rather Curiel was first appointed in 2006 to the California Superior Court by then-Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Before that, Curiel served for 17 years as a federal prosecutor and was even targeted by a Mexican drug cartel in the 1990s for assassination after his efforts to extradite two drug kingpins from Mexico. And when Curiel was finally confirmed as a federal judge by the U.S. Senate in 2012, it was by way of a voice vote with no recorded Republican opposition. Apparently Trump has not figured out how to use Google or perhaps more likely, he could not care less about the facts.

Even Trump's claim on Friday that Curiel has "given us ruling after ruling after ruling, negative, negative, negative" is undermined by the facts. Just a few weeks ago, Curiel agreed to Trump's request to delay the trial in this case from this summer, as originally scheduled, to after the election. As Curiel stated in making this ruling in Trump's favor and over the plaintiffs' objections, he feared the "media frenzy" could make it impossible for the jury to be unbiased.

But still that ruling was not enough for Trump. 

In Trump's view, this "Mexican" judge still needed to be investigated, without offering any specific facts as to why.

Trump concluded his tirade about Curiel by noting how much he relished the idea of returning to the stand for trial after being elected President.

But he picked back up on Memorial Day by continuing his attacks on the judge in a series of tweets, calling him "unfair" and "Totally biased-hates Trump." (Odd to see the GOP nominee using Memorial Day to attack a judge in a personal lawsuit.)

Hopefully, this case will finally go to trial in November -- like Trump wanted -- after six long years in the court system. 

It will give the plaintiffs, which include senior citizens who have made claims under California state law for "financial elder abuse," a chance to make their case and if successful to be reimbursed for their losses. And here's hoping that when that trial takes place, Trump is simply known as the former GOP nominee, not the President-elect.

Dean Obeidallah, a former attorney, is the host of SiriusXM's weekly program "The Dean Obeidallah Show," a columnist for The Daily Beast and editor of the politics blog The Dean's Report. Follow him on Twitter: @TheDeansreport. The opinions expressed in this commentary are his.

Republicans have a responsibility to nominate a qualified candiate #neverTrump

The Washington Post columnist Michael Gerson challenges Republicans to rise above the presumptive #neverTrump.


"How do I know this? It doesn’t require fortune-telling."- Michael Gerson

Michael Gerson- The Washington Post

For those of us with a certain political bent and background, this is the most depressing moment of all.

The best of the GOP — Marco Rubio and Paul Ryan, the intellectually serious reformicons who have called attention to issues of poverty and the need for Republican outreach — are bending their knee to the worst nominee in their party’s history. Ryan drags himself slowly. Rubio eventually went with a quick Band-Aid pull. But the largest political choice each man has made this year will be one of the worst mistakes of their careers. 

How do I know this? It doesn’t require fortune-telling.

Just days before Rubio offered to speak on Trump’s behalf at the Republican convention, the presumptive nominee declared the 1993 suicide of Vince Foster to be “very fishy,” especially given Foster’s “intimate knowledge of what was going on” with the Clintons. And Trump attacked the Republican governor of New Mexico, Susana Martinez, for allowing Syrian refugees to be “relocated in large numbers” to her state. “If I was governor,” he said, “that wouldn’t be happening.”

This is Trump on his best behavior, trying (once again) to act “presidential.”

A previous column I wrote — examining Trump’s penchant for conspiracy thinking on issues from vaccination to the death of Antonin Scalia — appeared on the same day as Trump’s implication of Hillary Clinton in Foster’s death. One challenge of detailing Trump’s lunacy is the need for hourly updates. His allegation in the Foster case involved the exploitation of a personal tragedy, amounting to the mockery of a family’s loss. It revealed a wide streak of cruelty.

The attack on Martinez demonstrated another less-than-desirable leadership quality. Trump’s charge against her had nothing to do with refugee policy. During her time as governor, just 10 Syrian refugees have been relocated to New Mexico. Trump was attempting to punish Martinez because she has been noncommittal about endorsing him. In making judgments about people, Trump’s primary measure is not ideological or even political. He likes people who support him and disdains people who don’t.

So Martinez and liberal Sen. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) are lumped in the same category of lèse-majesté. It doesn’t matter that Martinez is known as an effective Republican governor. Trump demands the unity of adulation. He is incapable of magnanimity.

And this meanness of spirit is also applied to some of the most vulnerable people in the world. Trump’s mention of refugees was a subterfuge, but still a damaging one. To score his political point, Trump chose to heap disdain on a few people — vetted for years before arrival — who seek the protection of the United States after a terrible ordeal.

Can you imagine, say, Ronald Reagan attacking women and children fleeing violence and oppression? They would more likely be used as an inspiring speech illustration.

For Trump, the bully, a trickle of refugees is another chance to kick the weak.

Fraud at Trump University - money trumped education

Customers who say they were cheated by Donald Trump and his fraudulent "University" are on a track to win damages for their collective complaint about the non-university known as "Trump University". Similarly, in my opinion, Donald Trump is cheating the American people and especially his declared Republican Party by promoting himself as qualified to be nominated to run for leader of the free world.


Judge Gonzalo Curiel



WASHINGTON (Reuters)
A judge, called a "hater" by Donald Trump for his handling of a lawsuit related to the businessman's Trump University real estate school, has unsealed documents related to the case.

Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee (aka "leader of the free world nominee) for the Nov. 8 election, is fighting a lawsuit that accuses his school venture of misleading thousands of people who paid up to $35,000 for seminars to learn about the billionaire's real estate investment strategies.

In an order signed on Friday, U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel said that materials, including Trump University procedures on dealing with students and the media, should be unsealed.

He noted they had already been published by the media organization Politico and that a magistrate judge described them previously as "routine" and "commonplace."

At a rally in San Diego on Friday, Trump criticized Curiel for his handling of the Trump University case.

"I have a judge who is a hater of Donald Trump. A hater. He's a hater," Trump said. (OMG I can't imagine how FoxNews would handle such an obstruction of justice and contempt of court quote if a Democrat had said such vile slander.)

"We're in front of a very hostile judge. The judge was appointed by Barack Obama," Trump said, adding he believed Curiel was Mexican.

Curiel is an American who was born in East Chicago, Indiana, and graduated from the Indiana University School of Law.

Legal scholars said Trump could face consequences for slamming the judge, although many speculated that Curiel was unlikely to sanction him formally.

"Mr. Trump's conduct could be subject to sanction for indirect criminal contempt of court," said Charles Geyh, a legal ethics expert at the Indiana University Maurer School of Law.

"He has impugned the honesty of the judge in a pending case, and has done so in the context of a political rally that seems calculated to intimidate by inciting anger among his supporters," he said.

Arthur Hellman, an expert on federal courts and judicial ethics at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, said the judge was in a difficult position.

"He can’t respond directly. He’s not supposed to talk out of court about proceedings before him. Judges have gotten into trouble defending themselves from attacks. The judge’s hands are really tied," he said.

Trump has drawn criticism for his comments about immigrants from Mexico, some of whom he has said were criminals and rapists.

He has proposed building a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico to prevent illegal immigration and requiring Mexico to pay for it.

Hispanics are a critical voting bloc in U.S. presidential elections.

Last week, Trump knocked one of the highest-profile Hispanic women in the Republican Party, criticizing New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez for her handling of the state's economy.

Her office said his criticisms were not substantive. Martinez has been touted as a potential vice presidential pick for a Republican ticket.

(Editing by Caren Bohan and Peter Cooney)

Investing in Mental Health- editorial in MaineBiz

Psychologically Healthy Workplace (URL) 
A psychologically healthy workplace fosters employee health and well-being while enhancing organizational performance and productivity.
Jennifer Van Allen is a Yarmouth ME, writer who published this important opinion in MaineBiz, but for some strange reason, the article is unavailable online, with a url; so I'm posting it with a credit to her byline.

(Transcribed)

MaineBiz writer Jenniver Van Allen writes about a Phycologically Healthy Workplace

Investing in Mental Health: Companies taking a look at employees' issues beyond the workplace by Jennifer Van Allen

Kennebec Technologies has invested millions of dollars in recent years to new precision manufacturing equipment and technology.

But, some of the company's most valuable investments, says President Charles "Wick" Johnson, have been those the company has made in the mental and emotional well being of its 65 employees. Kennebec Technologies has offered an Employee Assistance Program, or EAP, for a decade. It subsidizes continuing education and professional development, and it has launched a raft of other initiatives to let employees know that the work they do and their personal well being are valued. In 2014, the Augusta company was named a "Physiologically Healthy Workplace," by the Maine chapter of the American Psychological Association.

"Companies are hot happiness machines," says Johnson. "But, that doesn't mean we can't be sensitive to employees changing circumstances. You can't overstate how valuable it is to have a stable workforce that is committed and engaged.  And you have to look at it on a lot of different levels."

A healthy workforce is also critical to the company's ability to serve its customers, Johnson adds. "If we had one employee who became disabled, it really hurts us," he says. "It's absolutely in the company's best interest."

A growing awareness of a growing problem

Kennebec Technologies is one of a growing number of small and mid-sized companies that is addressing the mental and emotional needs of its employees as well as their physical health.

According to the Society of Human Resource Management, half o fbusinesses with 509 employees or less provide EAPs up from 48% in 2011.  Among companies that size, 82% provide some mental health coverage, up from 71% in 2011.

"I think that the awareness level is up to mental health needs," says Rick Dacri, a Kennebunk-based human resource consultant. "I think managers are much more sensitive than they have been in the past, and there's a greater amount of use of EAPs to be able to help them tackle these kinds of issues." 

More employees are tuning in to the prevalence of mental health and substance abuse issues in the work force, and the impact on performance, productivity, health insurance costs, and employee retention if those issues go unaddressed, Dacri adds.

Nearly a quarter of the U.S. workforce experience a mental or substance abuse disorder according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). More days of work loss and impairment are caused by mental illness than by other chronic health conditions.

People with mental and emotional health issues are more likely to also suffer from any of those chronic health conditions like diabetes, heart disease, asthma or stroke, all of which can be costly to treat, according to a 2012 report conducted by PwC, the global consultancy.

What's more, on-the-job stress can lead to mental and emotional health issues. Workers with high job demands and job strain are at increased risk of sick leave due to mental disorders, according to a study in the August 2015, issue of Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

Employers find that they also need to address the stress faced by a growing proportion of the work force that is part of the "sandwich " generation, providing care for children and elderly relatives.

Nearly half of adults in the 40s and 50s have a parent age 65 or older and are either raising a young child or financially supporting a grown child, according to a 2013 study by Pew Research Center. Two thirds of caregivers are employed, according to the 2014 study conducted by the New York based Families Work Institute.

Caring for the Caregivers
Donna Betts experienced this loss of productivity firsthand when she was trying to get help for her grown son, who suffered from depression. At the time, she worked in development at a non-profit agency- fundraising meeting with donors and planning events.  

"I would walk into my office, close my door and start making phone calls to find resources to help my son," Betts recalls. "Even when I wasn't making phone calls, I was just worrying about him. My capacity to work and my output was greatly diminished. I had a very supportive boss. But, it wasn't fair to my employer."

Betts' son committed suicide in 2009, at the age of 23. She moved to a larger organization, but that job came with more responsibilities and stress, which felt unmanageable. Ultimately, she took a leave of absence and quit. In 2012, she launched Family Hope, a non-orofit agency which helps families, friends, and caregivers of the mentally ill to find the help they need.

The Scarborough-based nonprofit provides a variety of services, like the Family Support Navigator Program, which helps families find therapists who are taking new patients, who take a family's insurance, and finding out what the wait time is for an appointment.

"That piece is time consuming," says Betts.

Family Hope is working with KMA Human Resources Consulting to make this service available to small business owners, to help employees with loved ones who are mentally ill.

"When you take care of someone with a serious mental illness, there's a lot of stress and anxiety which can also lead to physiciaal health problems," says Betts, executive director of the Scarborough agency. "A lot of family members develop their own depression and it costs employers a lot in lost production and increased health care costs."

Establishing a psychologically healthy workplace
Local employees clearly want to do more.
In March, more than 50 leaders of businesses, non-profits and government agencies packed into a three hour seminar on how to build a psychologically healthy workplace, which was sponsored by the Lifeline Southern Maine Wellness Council, making it one of the most heavily attended workshops the council has sponsored.

Managers expressed their desire to address their workers' mental and emotional needs, their frustration about the affordability of EAPs and employees reluctance to take advantage of mental illness resources, for fear that it would impact their job security. 

Tom Downing, owner of the Lifeline Southern Maine Wellness Council, says that the stigma mental health carries still keeps some employers from providing adequate support for their workers, and keeps employees from taking advantage of any services that are provided.

"There's still such a hesitancy to talk about mental illness," says Downing.  "The stigma is within society and within companies. We're starting to make some inroads. But, it's a long-term process."

Dacri says that cost and uncertain return can make EAPs a hard sell for smaller employers, even though research has shown that a healthy workforce leads to gains to productivity, performance, and lower rates of turnover.

It's hard to demonstrate its impact on the bottom line, because it's usually a preventive cost, rather than a cost savings," he says. "In some cases, it's a leap of faith."

Typically, only about 5% of the workforce uses a company's EAP. But, even that can have a positive impact."You can't simply tell them (employees with mental health issues) to get better," he says.  "You've got to be able to provide some resource, and managers are not equipped to make diagnoses and referrals. If you're having an IT problem, you go to an outside resource for that. Why wouldn't you have a resource for mental and physical health?"

But, even if a small business owner doesn't want to invest in an EAP, there are plenty of steps that can be taken to create a psychologically healthy workplace. Offering workers flexibility with work shifts and creating programs that recognize performance "are just good sound management practices which don't cost employers anything," says Dacri. "It's all good for the bottom line."

A powerful message
Coffee By Design had an EAP for years for its 55 employees, but phased it out when it seemed that it wasn't being used.  

Yet, when an employee died in a car accident and employees began requesting the service, the EAP was restored, says Mary Allen Lindemann, co-founder of the company, which also was named by APA as a "Psychologically Healthy Workplace," in 2014.

The EAP includes everything from unlimited phone counseling and a limited number of in-person visits, to referrals to services to help find day care, car repair and legal assistance.

Even if employees don't use the service, Lindemann says that just having a plan, and telling workers that it's available sends a powerful message.  

It helps to create a non-judgmental atmosphere where workers feel comfortable asking for help, without fear of losing their jobs.

"I have to believe that there is some correlation to having the plan and the fact that people are more willing to share when they have problems, and their concern for co-workers," she says.

"I know that we have people who are still here because they have had access to help when they needed it, because they were going through hard times. I understand the costs, and that it's hard to do. But, I think the benefit is really significant."

Paul Krugman 5th Presidential Campaign analysis

Feel the Math:
"That’s what the math says, and anyone who says it doesn’t is misleading you."- Paul Krugman

Paul Krugman is an economist & columnist for The New York Times. His analysis cuts through the prevailing narrative about the 2016 election cycle.

Thankfully, an experienced analyst provides political perspective to cut through hypermedia rhetoric.

This is Krugman's 5th presidential campaign as a New York Times columnist.

He's watched a lot of election coverage, and came into the 2016 cycle prepared for the worst. Or so he thought.

"But I was wrong", he writes in the following commentary. 

So far, election commentary has been even worse than I imagined it would be. It’s not just the focus on the horse race at the expense of substance; much of the horse-race coverage has been bang-your-head-on-the-desk awful, too. I know this isn’t scientific, but based on conversations I’ve had recently, many people — smart people, who read newspapers and try to keep track of events — have been given a fundamentally wrong impression of the current state of play.

And when I say a “wrong impression,” I don’t mean that I disagree with other people’s takes. I mean that people aren’t being properly informed about the basic arithmetic of the situation.

Now, I’m not a political scientist or polling expert, nor do I even try to play one on TV. But I am fairly numerate, and I assiduously follow real experts like The Times’s Nate Cohn. And they’ve taught me some basic rules that I keep seeing violated.

First, at a certain point you have to stop reporting about the race for a party’s nomination as if it’s mainly about narrative and “momentum.” That may be true at an early stage, when candidates are competing for credibility and dollars. 

Eventually, however, it all becomes a simple, concrete matter of delegate counts.

That’s why Hillary Clinton will be the Democratic nominee; she locked it up over a month ago with her big Mid-Atlantic wins, leaving Bernie Sanders no way to overtake her without gigantic, implausible landslides — winning two-thirds of the vote! — in states with large nonwhite populations, which have supported Mrs. Clinton by huge margins throughout the campaign.

And no, saying that the race is effectively over isn’t somehow aiding a nefarious plot to shut it down by prematurely declaring victory. Nate Silver recently summed it up: “Clinton ‘strategy’ is to persuade more ‘people’ to ‘vote’ for her, hence producing ‘majority’ of ‘delegates.’” You may think those people chose the wrong candidate, but choose her they did.

Second, polls can be really helpful at assessing the state of a race, but only if you fight the temptation to cherry-pick, to only cite polls telling the story you want to hear. Recent hyperventilating over the California primary is a classic example. Most polls show Mrs. Clinton with a solid lead, but one recent poll shows a very close race. So, has her lead “evaporated,” as some reports suggest? Probably not: Another poll, taken at the very same time, showed an 18-point lead.

What the polling experts keep telling us to do is rely on averages of polls rather than highlighting any one poll in particular. This does double duty: it prevents cherry-picking, and it also helps smooth out the random fluctuations that are an inherent part of polling, but can all too easily be mistaken for real movement. And the polling average for California has, in fact, been pretty stable, with a solid Clinton lead.

Polls can, of course, be wrong, and have been a number of times this cycle. But they’ve worked better than many people think. Most notably, Donald Trump’s rise didn’t defy the polls — on the contrary, he was solidly leading the polls by last September. Pundits who dismissed his chances were overruling what the surveys were trying to tell them.

Which brings us to the general election. Here’s what you should know, but may not be hearing clearly in the political reporting: Mrs. Clinton is clearly ahead, both in general election polls and in Electoral College projections based on state polls.

It’s true that her lead isn’t as big as it was before Mr. Trump clinched the G.O.P. nomination, largely because Republicans have consolidated around their presumptive nominee, while many Sanders supporters are still balkingat saying that they’ll vote for her.

But that probably won’t last; many Clinton supporters said similar things about Barack Obama in 2008, but eventually rallied around the nominee. 

So unless Bernie Sanders refuses to concede and insinuates that the nomination was somehow stolen by the candidate who won more votes, Mrs. Clinton is a clear favorite to win the White House.

Now, obviously things can and will change over the course of the general election campaign. Every one of the presidential elections I’ve covered at The Times felt at some point like a nail-biter. But the current state of the race should not be a source of dispute or confusion. Barring the equivalent of a meteor strike, Hillary Clinton will be the Democratic nominee; despite the reluctance of Sanders supporters to concede that reality, she’s currently ahead of Donald Trump. That’s what the math says, and anyone who says it doesn’t is misleading you.

Read Paul Krugman’s blog, The Conscience of a Liberal, and follow him on Twitter.

Fraud at bogus "Trump University" and Donald Trump is "shocked-shocked"

In my opinion, the fraud perpetrated by Trump University certainly "trumps" any potential issue with #forgetthedamnemails.

"...lawsuit seeks restitution and damages for more than 5,000 students nationwide, including 600 New Yorkers, who paid up to $35,000 each."  FoxNews

New York Judges Decides Tump University fraud case goes to trial.A New York judge decided Tuesday that a fraud case against Donald Trump over his former school for real estate investors will go to trial – raising the possibility that the Republican presidential primary front-runner could testify during campaign season.

New York County Supreme Court Judge Cynthia Kern made the decision at a hearing Tuesday, though it remains unclear whether the case will be weighed at a jury trial – which is what Trump’s team is seeking. Trump attorney Jeffrey Goldman said it’s possible the trial could be held this fall, and Trump could testify.

In the case, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, a Democrat, has accused Trump and others of misleading thousands of students over the school.

Ivanka Trump gave $500 to Eric Schneiderman's Attorney General campaign, but the money was refunded as a result of the fraud lawsuit.

Schneiderman alleges that Trump University was unlicensed since it began operating in 2005 and promised lessons with real estate experts hand-picked by Trump, only one of whom had ever met him. The attorney general said the school used "bait-and-switch" tactics, inducing students to enroll in increasingly expensive seminars.

Trump has denied any wrongdoing. He has said it was "a terrific school" with 98 percent approval ratings by its students.

Schneiderman had sued Trump and the school, which changed its name to the Trump Entrepreneur Initiative before it closed in 2010, for $40 million. The lawsuit seeks restitution and damages for more than 5,000 students nationwide, including 600 New Yorkers, who paid up to $35,000 each.

A New York court earlier had refused to throw out the fraud lawsuit.

Trump filed complaints with the state's ethics commission in 2013, four months after the lawsuit was filed, alleging Schneiderman pursued it to wring out campaign contributions from Trump's daughter Ivanka. 

The ethics commission dropped the complaint after a review. Schneiderman denied it, and his campaign returned the $500 donation Ivanka Trump had made in 2012.

Trump's fellow Republican candidates have attacked him over litigation against the school, including a class-action suit in California. Trump criticized the judge in that case.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Obviously, Donald Trump is unable to defend this fraud regardless of how the court case proceeds.  If Trump were able to defend himself against education fraud, he would have surrogates or even former students explaning another point of view. Rather than being "shocked-shocked" at Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, Donald Trump should, instead, be producing cash refunds for those who were unsatisfied with their bogus education.

Trump is not qualifed to protect America- risk of hemorrhage with Putin

"...Russia is relying on intimidation and unpredictable behavior,.." The Week: (OMG - sounds eerily familiar.)

Russia's Military Buildup, while Donald Trump wants to be Vladimir Putin's new best friend. Clearly, Trump is unqualified to be a peer to Russia's President Putin.

This is not the leader of the free world the USA can trust!

Putin and Trump are ego driven, ambitious and  impulsive men, but Putin has the experience of a rattlesnake, he will strike without notice. Meanwhile, Donald Trump has called for the US to pull out of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

HELLO?

In the June 3, 2016:  The Week:  Russia's Military Buildup: Russia is modernizing its military and threatening its neighbors is a confrontation coming? 

How serious is Russia's military threat?

Russia is modernizing its military and threatening its neighbors. Is a confrontation coming? Here's everything you need to know:

What is Russia up to? Since annexing the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea, Russia has been throwing its weight around in Eastern Europe. Russian military planes and ships have been aggressively buzzing U.S. and NATO aircraft and vessels and intruding into European waters and airspace. 

Russian warplanes recently flew simulated attack passes at an American destroyer in the Baltic Sea, and in April, a Russian warplane did a dangerous barrel roll over an American fighter jet, passing within just 25 feet. In May, British fighter jets intercepted three Russian military transport aircraft — which could carry troops or heavy equipment — approaching NATO member Estonia and refusing to answer hails. British Defense Secretary Michael Fallon described the incident as an "act of Russian aggression." These provocative actions have occurred at the same time as Russian President Vladimir Putin has been modernizing and upgrading his military forces.

Why the upgrade? Putin inherited a lumbering and antiquated military from the Soviet Union, along with status as a second-rate power. He wants Russia to once again become a credible counterweight to the U.S. and NATO, and protect its dominion over its traditional sphere of influence. To that end, he has spent billions on a new generation of nuclear missiles as well as new tanks and fighter jets. The Russian military plans to vastly increase its manpower too, announcing 40 new brigades by 2020, on top of the 70 brigades it already has. Whether it can deliver on that plan, though, is debatable, since the oil price slump has hit Russia hard, depriving Putin of needed revenue. But Russia has nonetheless been moving troops and weapons closer to the borders of its neighbors and NATO members. Its Black Sea Fleet, headquartered in the Crimean port of Sebastopol, recently added a dozen warships and has been sending them out on patrols near the Bulgarian, Romanian, and Turkish coasts. "The Black Sea has almost become a Russian lake," said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Could Russia rival the U.S.? There's no chance of that. Even the top Pentagon brass — who are using Putin's buildup to argue for greater funding — don't believe American military supremacy is in jeopardy. The U.S. still spends nearly seven times more on defense (about $600 billion) than Russia ($84 billion), and has 19 aircraft carriers to Russia's one. (Maine Writer- that statistic alone is laughable, but Putin does have nuclear capability.) 

Moreover, NATO has four times Russia's military power. Under treaties signed by recent presidents, including George W. Bush and Barack Obama, the two sides have approximate nuclear parity, but the U.S. has hundreds of nondeployed warheads in storage, and Russia does not. Because of these imbalances, says military analyst Daniel Gouré, Russia is relying on intimidation and unpredictable behavior, in the hope that NATO will "accept a small defeat rather than risk a big war" — the very tactic it has used in Crimea and Ukraine. To ratchet up Western fear, Russia has even suggested it would use nuclear weapons in local conflicts.

What is NATO doing in response?
Worried that NATO is unprepared for a sudden Russian offensive, the Obama administration is moving 5,000 troops, and tanks and other heavy weapons, into several Baltic and Eastern European countries. NATO is also getting around to deploying missile defense systems in Poland and Romania that were originally proposed in 2002, when the U.S. was still reeling from 9/11 and worried about Iran getting the bomb. A base in Romania became operational just a few weeks ago, and work has begun on another in Poland. Moscow is livid, and argues that since Iran has now been prevented from obtaining a nuclear weapon, the missile defense system must be aimed at Russia, in violation of several treaties. 

NATO officials counter that Russia has almost certainly already violated those treaties by placing nuclear weapons in Kaliningrad, a tiny exclave of Russian territory nestled between Lithuania and Poland on the Baltic Sea.

Is that the next flash point? It could be. Last December, Russia conducted a snap military drill in Kaliningrad, bringing its forces to the highest state of alert just miles from two NATO capitals. Some analysts believe it could begin manufacturing crises around access to Kaliningrad as a form of blackmail, to pressure NATO to roll back its missile defense program or even formally recognize the annexation of Crimea.

What will happen next? NATO plans large-scale war games involving 10,000 troops in Poland in June, just ahead of a major NATO summit meeting in Warsaw. There, President Obama will meet with heads of all NATO member states, and Russian aggression is expected to be a major topic. NATO says it wants to keep talking with Russia, and it has reconvened a NATO-Russia council that stopped meeting after the Crimea annexation. But NATO no longer speaks of a "strategic partnership" with Russia, but rather uses Cold War–era rhetoric about keeping lines of communication open. Russian officials, meanwhile, are taking a belligerent and pessimistic tone. The world "has slid into a new Cold War," said Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.

Moscow's ongoing cyberwar: Russia now outstrips China as America's biggest cyberthreat. "Russian cyber actors are developing means to remotely access industrial control systems used to manage critical infrastructures," National Intelligence Director James Clapper said. Hackers with ties to the Kremlin have already penetrated computer systems at the Polish stock exchange, a French TV station, The New York Times, NATO, and even the White House and the Pentagon. Much of the hacking is for harassment and espionage, but at times it also presents a physical threat. In 2014, Russian hackers took over a computer that controlled the blast furnace at a German steel mill, inserting malware that caused the machine to melt down. Russian cyber-attacks on Ukraine have taken out part of the power grid and interrupted military communications. 

In Syria, Russian jamming systems interfere with NATO spy satellites. "Russia certainly has been more active than any other country in terms of combining cyber-attacks, or cyber-operations, with [military] operations," said security expert Jeffrey Carr. "China has never done anything like that."

Note:  From my blogging perspective, Maine Writer says the world has never-ever been in a more dangerous situation.  As a matter of fact, again in my opinion, it's been international trade that's kept us from even more carnage than we're already experiencing. International monetary exchanges need the resources offered through free trade and an international war would completely destroy the precarious economies of many nations - including Russia's because the Ruble is already essentially useless. Nevertheless, the world cannot depend on a leader who is synergistic with Vladimir Putin.  It would be like a patient taking Aspirin and the blood thinner drug Warafin at the same time, because the risk of hemorrhage would be deadly.

Hillary Clinton rises above Trump slander

Add "slanderer" to the long list of Donald Trump adjectives.

Eventually, Donald Trump is bound to drop from fatigue while trying to stay ahead of his own lies and slander.

Thankfully, Secretary Clinton is receiving timely support from credible people who are able to counter Trump's  slander, like Sheila Foster Anthony, who responded to recent lies perpetrated about her brother's death.

Vince Foster was my brother. Donald Trump should be ashamed. (The Washington Post)

By Sheila Foster Anthony May 26

The writer served on the Federal Trade Commission from 1997 to 2003.

It is beyond contempt that a politician would use a family tragedy to further his candidacy, but such is the character of Donald Trump displayed in his recent comments to The Washington Post. 

Vincent Foster (left) and his wife, Lisa, with then-governor Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton in 1988. Associated Press/Arkansas Democrat Gazette. 

In this interview, Trump cynically, crassly and recklessly insinuated that my brother, Vincent W. Foster Jr., may have been murdered because “he had intimate knowledge of what was going on” and that Hillary Clinton may have somehow played a role in Vince’s death.

How wrong. How irresponsible. How cruel.

“There are people who continue to bring it up because they think it was absolutely a murder,” Trump said in response to a question about Vince’s death.

Trump was canny enough to hedge — he’s not the one raising questions, he said, but others have. He noted that Vince “knew everything that was going on, and then all of a sudden he committed suicide.” The circumstances of Vince’s death, he observed, were “very fishy” and the theories about possible foul play “very serious.”

This is scurrilous enough coming from right-wing political operatives who have peddled conspiracy theories about Vince’s death for more than two decades. How could this be coming from the presumptive Republican nominee for president?

Five investigations, including by independent counsels Robert B. Fiske Jr. and Kenneth Starr, concluded that Vince suffered from severe depression that caused him to be unable to sleep, unable to work, unable to think straight, and finally to take his own life.

(Hmmmm....this sounds like the symptons being exhibited by Donald Trump, including his tendancy for exhibiting symptons of multiple personaility disorder, aka John Miller.)

I know this to be true because Vince lived with me when he came to Washington to serve as deputy counsel to the president. This is a grueling job in any administration, especially so at the start, and in the case of the Clinton White House, the counsel’s office — and Vince — were consumed with problems, including over the firing of employees in the White House travel office.

Vince and I were very close siblings — I was the older, by four years and two months — and there was not much we didn’t share with one another. After about three months, his family rented out their Little Rock home and Vince moved with them to a small Georgetown house.

Vince called me at my office in the Justice Department a few days before he died. He told me he was battling depression and knew he needed help. But he was worried that such an admission would adversely affect his top-level security clearance and prevent him from doing his job.

I told him I would try to find a psychiatrist who could help him and protect his privacy. After a few phone calls, I gave him three names. That list was found in his wallet with his body at Fort Marcy Park in McLean. I did not see a suicide coming, yet when I was told that Vince was dead I knew that he had killed himself. Never for a minute have I doubted that was what happened.

I think Vince felt he was a failure, this brilliant man who had so many talents, had achieved so many honors and was so well-respected by his peers. He must have felt that he couldn’t stay in his job at the White House, and he couldn’t go back to Little Rock. 

He was so ill, he couldn’t see a way out.

A few months after Vince’s death, I began to see alarming reports in the news articles distributed throughout the Justice Department each day. These clips, which began appearing in newspapers across the country, were similar, as though written by a single source.

This was the beginning of the countless conspiracy theories spun by those who claimed that the Clintons had Vince murdered because he knew something about Whitewater, the real estate transaction that became the subject of the Fiske and Starr investigations. Repeat something enough times and in enough venues, I guess, and people begin to question their own good sense.

These outrageous suggestions have caused our family untold pain because this issue went on for so long and these reports were so painful to read. For years, our family had to wage a court fight to prevent release of photographs of Vince’s dead body. 

My heartbroken mother was plagued by harassing phone calls from a reporter.

Through all this time I have not spoken publicly about this matter, out of an effort to maintain our family’s privacy. I am now, because The Post sought my reaction. I have donated to Hillary Clinton’s campaign but have not had contact with anyone at the campaign about my decision to go public.

For Trump to raise these theories again, for political advantage, is wrong. I cannot let such craven behavior pass without a response.

Donald Trump is loosing the Republican brand

OMG! This list of Trump critics are brutally startling....!!

Trump, as perceived as the Republican Nominee, by leadership of the GOP- the party of Abraham Lincoln. 

Yes, the leadership are worried...verrry worried.  In fact, GOP (Grand Old Party) establishment are being bullied into accepting Donald Trump as their party's nominee, but they surely aren't the kind of enthusiastic supporters to be recruited as his surrogates. Eventually, Trump will become exhausted being his own "trumpet".  Indeed, the American people will have to listen to how dangerous his words are and what they will mean for our nation's future. But, meanwhile, Trump is causing a lot of political damage and loosing the "brand", as the party of Lincoln.

A long list of harsh Trump critics

This daunting list of Trump critics (a scroll below) is certainly unprecedented for a presidential candidate. Frankly, I'm grateful for the many GOP leaders who are quoted in this clipping of recent quotes because they are are worried about a Donald Trump candidacy and how his campaign to be elected as leader of the free world would damage our nation's reputation and undermine our core moral values of inclusveness and Democracy for all.

Updated Friday, May 27: From "The Briefing Blog"

Donald Trump has appeared to capture the Republican nomination, successfully bullying his way through a crowded primary field. 

Nevertheless, many prominent activists, journalists and elected officials in his own party have figured out what Hillary Clinton has argued all along: Donald Trump is too big a risk for America. (In fact, the man is mentally impulsive and unstable, shows symptoms of a multiple personality disorder ie John Miller, in my nursing opinion.)

Take a look at the long litany of prominent conservatives who are already promising that they’ll never vote for Trump:

Speaker Paul Ryan [R-WI]: "U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan said on Thursday that he can not currently support Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee. "I'm just not ready to do that at this point," Ryan told CNN, adding that he hopes to be able to do so in the future."" (Smart move by Speaker Ryan who justifiably has his own presidential ambitons. "Be careful who your friends are," our mothers wisely said.)

Texas Tribune: Bush 41, 43 Have No Plans to Endorse Trump: 

"For the first time since his own presidency, George H.W. Bush is planning to stay silent in the race for the Oval Office — and the younger former president Bush plans to stay silent as well. Bush 41, who enthusiastically endorsed every Republican nominee for the last five election cycles, will stay out of the campaign process this time. He does not have plans to endorse presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump."

Nevada Senator Dean Heller: “I vehemently oppose our nominee and some of the comments and issues he brought up during the campaign"

Arizon Senator Jeff Flake: "@seungminkim: .@JeffFlake on if he could support Trump: "I can’t see how I can if he continues to advocate those policies." (such as Muslim bans + wall)"

Rep. Scott Rigell [R-VA]: “My love for our country eclipses my loyalty to our party, and to live with a clear conscience I will not support a nominee so lacking in the judgment, temperament and character needed to be our nation’s commander-in-chief. Accordingly, if left with no alternative, I will not support Trump in the general election should he become our Republican nominee.”

Former Romney staffer Garrett Jackson: “Sorry Mr. Chairman, not happening. I have to put country over party. I cannot support a dangerous phony.”

Former top Romney strategist Stuart Stevens: “I think Donald Trump has proven to be unbalanced and uniquely unqualified to be president. I won’t support him… Everyone has to make their own choice. I think Trump is despicable and will prove to be a disaster for the party. I’d urge everyone to continue to oppose him.’”

Rep. Carlos Curbelo [R-FL]: “I have already said I will not support Mr. Trump, that is not a political decision that is a moral decision.’”

Sen. Ben Sasse [R-NE]: “Mr. Trump’s relentless focus is on dividing Americans, and on tearing down rather than building back up this glorious nation. … I can’t support Donald Trump.”

Daily Caller editor Jamie Weinstein: “If it’s Trump-Hillary with no serious third party option in the fall, as hard as it is for me to believe I am actually writing these words, there is just no question: I’d take a Tums and cast my ballot for Hillary — and I suspect so would many other life-long conservatives, whether they are willing to admit it now or not.”

Weekly Standard’s Stephen Hayes: “This is what political division looks like. Trump's claim to be a unifier is not just specious, it's absurd. This casual dishonesty is a feature of his campaign. And it's one of many reasons so many Republicans and conservatives oppose Trump and will never support his candidacy. I'm one of them.”

Washington Post's Jennifer Rubin: "With every noxious movement, dangerous leader and misguided endeavor, there are people who should know better but who cheer, enable or passively accept horrible ideas. To those cheerleading Donald Trump: Be prepared to shoulder a heavy burden, a soul-crushing weight for the next six months."

Former McCain adviser Mark Salter: “The GOP is going to nominate for President a guy who reads the National Enquirer and thinks it's on the level. I'm with her.”

RedState editor Ben Howe: “#ImWithHer”

Billionaire Bush-backer Mike Fernandez: “If I have a choice — and you can put it in bold — if I have a choice between Trump and Hillary Clinton, I’m choosing Hillary.”

Lifelong Republican, foreign policy expert Max Boot: “[Hillary Clinton] would be vastly preferable to Trump.’”

Former NJ Gov., Christine Todd Whitman on a Clinton/Trump matchup: “I will probably vote for her.”

MA Gov. Charlie Baker: “I’m not going to vote for [Donald Trump] in November.”

Former RNC Chairman Mel Martinez: “I would not vote for Trump, clearly."

Former VA Gubernatorial candidate, Ken Cuccinelli on Trump: “When you’ve got a guy favorably quoting Mussolini, I don’t care what party you’re in, I’m not voting for that guy.”

Former RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman: “Leaders don't need to do research to reject Klan support. #NeverTrump”

Former Bush spokesman Tony Fratto: “For the thick-headed: #NeverTrump means never ever ever ever ever under any circumstances as long as I have breath never Trump. Get it?”

Former Eric Cantor communications director, Rory Cooper: “#NeverTrump means...never. The mission of distinguishing him from Republican positions and conservative values remains critical.”

Conservative blogger Erick Erickson: “Reporters writing about the "Stop Trump" effort get it wrong. It's ‘Never Trump’ as in come hell or high water we will never vote for Trump”

Fox News’ Steve Deace: “Apparently @secupp has a #NeverTrump list to see who keeps their word to the end. You can sign my name in blood.”

Republican strategist Patrick Ruffini: “I will never vote for @realDonaldTrump. Join me and add your name at http://NeverTrump.com . #NeverTrump”

America Rising co-founder and former Jeb Bush communications director Tim Miller: “Never ever ever Trump. Simple as that.”

Former Rep. J.C. Watts [R-OK] said he’d write-in someone before voting for Mr. Trump in November.

Former Director Of NV and MS GOP Cory Adair: "You'll come around," say supporters who just got done saying their candidate doesn't need me. Nah. I won't. #NeverTrump

Townhall editor Guy Benson: “Much to my deep chagrin (& astonishment ~8 months ago), for the 1st time in my life, I will not support the GOP nominee for president.”

DailyWire editor Ben Shapiro: “Really? #Nevertrump. Pretty easy.”

Wisconsin conservative radio host Charles Sykes: “I suppose I should clarify: #NeverTrump means I will nevereverunderanycircusmtances vote for @realDonaldTrump”

Editor at RedState, Dan McLaughlin: “For the first time since turning 18, I will not vote for the Republican candidate for President.”

George Mason law professor, Republican David Bernstein: “ “I’d rather Hillary Clinton win. I’d rather (and I never thought I’d say this)... If Trump wins the nomination, I will actively seek to prevent him from becoming president.”

Conservative columnist George Will: “If Trump is nominated, Republicans working to purge him and his manner from public life will reap the considerable satisfaction of preserving the identity of their 162-year-old party while working to see that they forgo only four years of the enjoyment of executive power.”

Redstate contributor Leon Wolf: “I will never vote for Donald Trump. I will not vote for him in the general election against Hillary, and I would not vote for him in a race for dogcatcher. Heck, I would not even vote for him on a reality television show.”

Former Romney adviser Kevin Madden: “I’m prepared to write somebody in so that I have a clear conscience.”

Pete Wehner, former speechwriter for George W. Bush: “I will not vote for Donald Trump if he wins the Republican nomination.”

Bill Kristol, editor of The Weekly Standard: “Donald Trump should not be president of the United States. The Wall Street Journal cannot bring itself to say that. We can say it, we do say it, and we are proud to act accordingly.”

Counselor to U.S. Department of State under President George W. Bush: “I will oppose Trump as nominee. Won't support & won't work for him for more reasons than a Tweet can bear.”

Former Jeb Bush digital director Elliott Schwartz: “In case there is confusion about #NeverTrump.”

Doug Heye, Former RNC communications director: “I cannot support Donald Trump were he to win the Republican nomination.”

Former IL GOP Chairman Pat Brady said he’d back a third-party candidate or "just stay home" if Mr. Trump is the nominee.

Washington Examiner’s Phillip Klein: “I have officially de-registered as a Republican.”

Hypeline News’ Kyle Foley: “I'm willing, if need be, to vote Hillary. That's how strong my disdain is for Trump #NeverTrump”

Republican pollster Kristen Soltis Anderson: “I registered Republican when I was 18 because I thought free markets and liberty were important. Not sure what “Republican” means today.”

Rep. Louie Gohmert [R-TX]: “Texas Rep. Louie Gohmert balked at backing Trump without an apology for his rhetoric toward Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and warned that Trump could cost Republicans a majority in Congress. “I had no fear of losing the House until I saw this weekend the commercial against Sen. John Boozman in Arkansas. They run quote after quote from Donald Trump’s mouth,” Gohmert told Fox Business Network. “This is a dangerous time.””

Rep. Ann Wagner [R-MO]: “A candidate has to earn my vote. And thus far, Donald Trump has not.”

Rep. Justin Amash [R-MI]: “U.S. Rep. Justin Amash, the Grand Rapids area Republican who first endorsed Kentucky U.S. Sen. Rand Paul and then Cruz for the GOP nomination, has said he would not vote for Trump.”

New Hampshire State Rep. Bill O’Brien: “Conservative leader Bill O’Brien, a state legislator and former House Speaker who served as Cruz state co-chairman, said he would not endorse Trump.”

Ohio State Senator Shannon Jones: “If Trump is the nominee, Jones said she will not vote for a candidate in the election for president.”

Former Virginia Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling: “What are more traditional Republicans, who are not at all comfortable with Trump, supposed to do?”

Alan Steinberg, former regional EPA administrator under George W. Bush: “Said he’s actually voting for Hillary Clinton, with whom he worked when she was U.S. senator for New York. “She can work with people on the opposite side of the political aisle,” he said.”

Elliott Abrams, former foreign policy advisor for Presidents Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush: “won’t be voting for Trump”

Andy Card, former White House Chief of Staff under President George W. Bush: “I’d probably write in a name.”CatholicVote: “We will not endorse Donald Trump for President at this time.”

New York Times: With Donald Trump in Charge, Republicans Have a Day of Reckoning: “Over the last two days, more than 70 Republican governors, senators, representatives, officials and donors were contacted directly or through aides for comments about Mr. Trump. Only about 20 replied, with many aides saying their bosses did not want to take a stand yet; others begged off by saying the officials were traveling or “too busy” to email, call or release a statement.”

Bloomberg: Big-Spending Fracking Family Behind Cruz Won’t Back Trump: “Add the conservative Wilks family of Texas, among the biggest spenders in the presidential race so far, to the list of donors who won’t support Donald Trump in the general election.”

Politico: The [GOP] donor class remains unswayed: “Republican donors want nothing to do with Donald Trump […] in interviews with more than a dozen major GOP funders, not one on Wednesday would commit to donating to Trump.

Washington Examiner: Conservative national security experts vow to keep fighting against Trump: “Conservative national security experts who vowed not to support Donald Trump are saying nothing has changed now that he is the presumptive nominee. “When I said ‘never Trump,’ I meant it,” Colin Dueck, an associate professor at George Mason University’s School of Policy, Government and International Affairs, told the Washington Examiner. Dueck was one of 121 conservative national security experts who signed an open letter in March promising to work “energetically to prevent the election of someone so utterly unfitted to the office.””

Washington Post: ‘I feel like I got smacked by a 2x4’: Va. Republicans react to Trump as the likely nominee: With the departure of Ted Cruz from the presidential race Tuesday night, many national Republican loyalists lamented the future of a party that could field a nominee as polarizing as Donald Trump. But the news was particularly jarring for Virginia Republicans fresh off two days of party warfare at a state convention where Cruz came out on top.”

Loudon Times-Mirror [Virginia]: High-profile Virginia Republicans lining up against Donald Trump: “Many long-time Virginia Republicans found themselves despondent Wednesday after Donald Trump became the GOP’s presumptive presidential nominee. “Twenty-nine years of Republican activism down the drain,” former state Del. David Ramadan, a Dulles-area conservative, told the Times-Mirror. “I feel like someone stuck a knife in me.””

The Hawk Eye [Burlington, Iowa]: Republicans diverge on Trump as nominee, question conservative values: “Angie Davidson of Wapello resigned her position as chairwoman of the Louisa County Republican Party in March after the county convention. She now supports Libertarian presidential candidate Austin Peters and will not vote Republican in the November general election.”

NBC New York: Donald Trump Faces GOP Backlash in NJ as He Becomes Likely Presidential Nominee: “Steve Lonegan, who once ran against Chris Christie for governor, was state chair for Cruz. Now he’s packing up what’s left of the campaign, buttons, stickers and all. “I’m not going to say I’m voting for Hillary. I’m also not voting for Donald Trump,” he said. “I may not vote.””

Wisconsin Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke: Steineke “who has called Trump “a liberal and a liar,” hedged in his opposition, but said Wednesday he does not currently support the presumptive nominee.”

Burglinton, Iowa Tea Party Chairwoman Rose Kendall: “At this point, Kendall said she was unlikely to vote in November for any candidate.”

Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum: “Rick Santorum said on Wednesday that he would not endorse Donald Trump yet, saying that he would ‘sit on sidelines’ of the presidential race for the time being.”

Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner: “Rauner aides stressed there are various levels of ‘support,’ and that the governor would not be giving Trump a formal endorsement.”

Rep. Barbara Comstock [R-VA]: “Comstock… listed several reasons why she felt the billionaire businessman was not a good role model, including his derogatory remarks about women and prisoners of war, and for not immediately disavowing the Ku Klux Klan. ‘All of these things are hugely problematic and don’t represent our party,’ she said at that time. ‘I don’t think somebody should represent my party who disrespects America’s veterans. We’re the party of Lincoln. We’re the party of Reagan.’”

Rep. Charlie Dent [R-PA]: “With the Republican nomination now secured for Donald Trump, he has a great deal of work to do to convince many Americans, myself included, that he is prepared and able to lead this great nation.”

Vermont Lt. Governor Phil Scott: “I cannot vote for Donald Trump,” Lt. Gov. Phil Scott, a Republican candidate for governor, said Wednesday during a break from presiding over the Senate. Scott has condemned Trump throughout the presidential campaign, once referring to him as “offensive.”

Former Rep. Bob Inglis [R-SC]: “@bobinglis: Very proud of Speaker Ryan: Paul Ryan Says He Cannot Support Donald Trump for Now”

Rep. John Katko [R-NY]: “Any candidate has to earn my vote, including Donald Trump. He has a lot of work to do in that regard. I’m concerned with some of the comments he’s made, and with the general tone that he’s taken.”

Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference: “To date Donald Trump’s comments about immigration have been inflammatory, impractical and unhelpful,” Rodriguez said in a statement. “Now that he is the presumptive nominee, we call upon him to immediately stop rhetorical commentary he has previously used that discredits groups, including Latino immigrants.”

Eleanor May, former Rand Paul presidential campaign Press Secretary: “I can’t vote for Donald Trump […] and I fear that by nominating Donald Trump the GOP will forever lose the youth vote.”

Doug Elmets, former press staffer in the Reagan White House: “It’s a bitter pill, but supporting Hillary Clinton is a much better alternative to the xenophobic Donald Trump,” Elmets wrote.

Mac Stipanovich, former Chief of Staff to Gov. Bob Martinez: “On a personal level, Trump is a boor, a bully, a carnival barker and an embarrassment. Politically, by intent or instinct, he is a neo-fascist… He appeals to our fears, preys on our anxieties and exploits our ignorance. A worse candidate to sit in the Oval Office for the next four years cannot be imagined.”

Andy Card, former White House Chief of Staff under President George W. Bush: “When he started to gain traction, I became a cynic. I wasn’t sure he could make it. I was saying, ‘sane people will recognize this is not going to happen.’ Well, it happened. He scared me.”

Mitt Romney: Politico: “Add Mitt Romney to the list of Republicans who won’t support Donald Trump as the presumptive party nominee… The former Massachusetts governor said he is ‘dismayed at where we are now’ and wishes Americans had ‘better choices.’”

Rep. Ileana Ros – Lehtinen [R-FL]: “I don’t plan to vote for Donald Trump,” she said. “I don’t feel in my heart that I could support him.”

GOP Senate candidate Chris Vance: Vance, who is challenging four-term Democratic U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, blasted Trump’s views on trade, economics and foreign policy as “naive,” “wrongheaded” and “insane.” As a former state GOP chairman, Vance said he takes “no joy” in refusing to support his party’s presidential candidate, “but I must place conscience and principle ahead of party.”

Former Gov. George V. Voinovich [R-OH]: “I wish we had a better candidate”

San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer: “I’m not endorsing Donald Trump. He hasn’t earned my vote.”

Former Gov. Bob Taft [R-OH]: “Personally, I have very deep reservations about Trump.”

Former Lt. Gov. Bruce E. Johnson [R-OH]: “Donald Trump hasn’t impressed me at all with his ‘wall’ nonsense, the trade wars, the nuclear proliferation and his bullying attitude….I think for the sake of Rob Portman and (Westerville-area U.S. Rep.) Pat Tiberi and other state and local officials, I hope (Republicans) go to the polls. Whether they can find it in their conscience to vote for Donald Trump, I couldn’t care less.”

State Sen. Shannon Jones [R-OH]: “said just because Trump is now the Republican nominee ‘that doesn’t mean I have to support him.’”

Ward Baker, executive director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee: “In a new sign of the Republican Party’s reservations about Mr. Trump, the top strategist in charge of defending Republican control of the Senate said in a briefing for lobbyists and donors on Thursday that the party’s candidates should feel free to skip the nominating convention in Cleveland in July.”

Dan Senor, former advisor to Paul Ryan and Mitt Romney: “Dan Senor… said Mr. Trump’s dismissive attitude toward his critics could have crippling consequences in a general election.”

Bill Kristol: “You embrace the endorsement of a rapist in Mike Tyson, a man convicted of raping a 17-year old girl, and you don’t express any, when it’s pointed out to you, you don’t say, “Yeah, well that was horrible” […] On the day of the Indiana primary, he spins this conspiracy story […] about Ted Cruz’ father being complicit in the assassination of a president of the United States. […] You know, for me, the one thing, though […] —it was the mocking of the disabled New York Times reporter, which is such a humanely grotesque thing to do, and then he just lies and says “I didn’t do it.”

Lindsey Graham: “I do not believe he is a reliable Republican conservative…do not believe he is a reliable GOP conservative nor has he displayed the judgment and temperament to serve as Commander in Chief.”

Jeb Bush: “Donald Trump has not demonstrated that temperament or strength of character. He has not displayed a respect for the Constitution. And, he is not a consistent conservative. These are all reasons why I cannot support his candidacy.”

Jennifer Nassour, former chairwoman of the Massachusetts Republican Party: “I’m hopeful that there will be someone else who is challenging Trump on the Republican ticket at the convention. If not, then write someone in. It’s a shame to just waste our vote, but I cannot see myself voting for Trump.”

Mac Stipanovich, former Chief of Staff to Gov. Bob Martinez: “If I thought the election hung on my vote, I would probably vote for Hillary Clinton, anything would be better than Donald Trump. He would be a disaster for the Republican Party and harmful to the nation.”

Max Boot, Former Advisor to Marco Rubio: “Trump is an ignorant demagogue who traffics in racist and misogynistic slurs and crazy conspiracy theories. … The risk of Trump winning, however remote, represents the biggest national security threat that the United States faces today.”

Ross Douthat: “His unfitness starts with basic issues of temperament. It encompasses the race-baiting, the conspiracy theorizing, the flirtations with violence, and the pathological lying that have been his campaign-trail stock in trade.”
Jennifer Rubin: “But it is really fundamentally an issue of character. When people look at Donald Trump and they see how he treats women, they see his views on foreigners, they see his lack of personal self-control, his meanness. Just this week he was back lying again.”

Rep. Bob Dold [R-IL]: “Dold said, even if Trump walked back his comments on women, Muslims, Latinos, and POWs, he still would not vote for him.”

Rep. Will Hurd [R-TX]: “[Hurd] said that Donald Trump will have to shape up before he gets Hurd’s support.”

Former Senator Gordon Humphrey [R-NH]: ““Unequivocally, I am not supporting Donald Trump. … I think he is a sociopath.””

Former NJ Gov. Christine Todd Whitman: “As I have said numerous times before, Donald Trump is simply unfit to be president. We have all seen his bullying, misogyny and provoking of racial hatred.”

Rick Wilson, Republican consultant: “It isn’t just that we loathe him personally (though that’s easy to do with his horror-show affect); it’s that we reject his core political philosophy of statism.”

Politico: Trump’s empty administration: “…a vast number of highly skilled managers and policy experts, veterans of recent GOP administrations who would normally be expected to fill key positions for a new White House, are also vowing to sit out a Donald Trump presidency.”

Jennifer Rubin: “Truth be told, the character issues with Trump are so enormous (dishonesty, bigotry, misogyny, lack of impulse control, etc.) that there are many conservatives who will never accept him. Judging from his conduct over the past few days, Trump is making it easier for principled Republicans to reject him.

Michael Gerson, conservative commentator: “Those who support Trump, no matter how reluctantly, have crossed a moral boundary. They are standing with a leader who encourages prejudice and despises the weak. They are aiding the transformation of a party formed by Lincoln’s blazing vision of equality into a party of white resentment.”

Bret Stephens, Wall Street Journal columnist: “What isn’t survivable is a Republican president who is part Know Nothing, part Smoot-Hawley and part John Birch. The stain of a Trump administration would cripple the conservative cause for a generation.”

John Weaver, Chief Strategist for John Kasich: On working for Trump: “Under no circumstances. I’m an American first. And I don’t want to elaborate on that.” On whether Kasich would be Trump’s VP: “Under no circumstances. … If you’re the kind of conservative who believes that everyone matters, that this is about uniting … where does that fit into what Donald Trump has said?”

Mac Stipanovich, former Chief of Staff to Gov. Bob Martinez: “Let’s talk about his pledge to deport 12 million illegal aliens. Anybody who believes that the United States of America is going to round up, transport, guard, house, feed and deport 12 million people, twice as many as Stalin managed to deport in 30 years of trying, is a fool.”

Paul Singer, “GOP Megadonor”: “said Monday evening that conservatives must “stand up for what we believe, which is not embodied by either choice on the menu in November.””

Deborah DeMoss Fonseca, spokeswoman for Conservatives Against Trump: “To those Trumpsters who are criticizing us and saying we have a duty to vote for the Republican Party, I would say, at what cost?”

Ohio Auditor Dave Yost: “an early resident of the never-Trump camp, took to Facebook to express his disappointment, writing of the New Yorker’s ‘utter lack of principled convictions.’”

Senator Marco Rubio [R-FL]: “While Republican voters have chosen Donald Trump as the presumptive GOP nominee, my previously stated reservations about his campaign and concerns with many of his policies remain unchanged.”

Speaker Paul Ryan [R-WI]: “We have right now a disunified Republican Party. We shouldn’t sweep it under the rug without addressing it. That would be to our detriment in the fall.”

Rep. Martha McSally [R-AZ]: “McSally said she’s not ready to endorse the presumptive nominee just as yet.”

Washington Post: Donald Trump is terrible. Good thing there’s this ‘nominee’ guy!: “But fortunately for senators in tough, competitive seats, there is another option. You don’t have to endorse Trump. You can just support the Nominee of the Party. These are not the same thing at all! They are quite different. The Nominee is everything Trump isn’t.”

Rosario Marin, former U.S. Treasurer under President George W. Bush: “I have been the spokesperson for five presidential Republican campaigns. I have attended the previous five Republican national conventions. I’m not going this year, and I am not campaigning for him. I would never, never, ever vote for the little orange man.

Jennifer Rubin: Who wants to defend Trump for the next six months?: “Donald Trump’s noxious behavior and erratic views force his supporters to condone all sorts of unacceptable things. Even his own advisers find it hard to excuse his conduct.”

Rep. Tim Huelskamp [R-KS]: “I can’t get comfortable with a candidate if I’m worried about what he’ll say in front of my 9-year old that’s vulgar and crass. I cannot have him in front of that television with what Donald Trump has been saying.”

Andrew Weinstein, deputy press secretary to then-House Speaker Newt Gingrich: Five Reasons My Fellow Republicans Should Vote for Hillary Clinton: “The best way to save the GOP is a Clinton victory. A Trump win could create an institutional bond between the GOP and the racist demagoguery and proposals Mr. Trump has espoused while simultaneously abandoning the party’s positive messages of inclusion, growth, prosperity, and individual liberty. ​If Republicans rally behind Mr. Trump, the White House is likely to be lost for a generation.”

Mac Stipanovich, former Chief of Staff to Gov. Bob Martinez: “If the RNC is going to spend money to elect Donald Trump, then I won’t give them money.”

BuzzFeed: Big Money Republicans Reluctant To Go All In On Trump: “Several major GOP bundlers … who were major players during Mitt Romney’s campaign said they are reluctant to fundraise for Trump. “I’m waiting for the Second Coming,” one said. … “The guy kept saying ‘I don’t need your money,’ now he’s asking for their money?” said another Republican operative with ties to donors. “What it’s about is, he kept pissing all over the idea of a donor class.””

Doug Heye, Former RNC communications director: “That’s one of the things that troubles so many people on the Republican side about Donald Trump. There are no policy specifics. There are no real solutions. As you mentioned, there are tons of villains, you can pick a different villain of the day. But there aren’t serious policy solutions.”

RGA Finance Chair Fred Malek: “He seems to be taking the position that – ‘Hey, he’s the nominee so you’ve got to get behind him.’ Well, it doesn’t work that way.”

The Hill: GOP hopefuls struggle with support of Trump: “Vulnerable Republican Senate hopefuls are struggling to find the right tone about Donald Trump’s rise to the top of the party’s ticket, weighing how to appeal to moderates without casting aside their base. They’re choosing their words carefully as Democrats begin trying to tie them to their party’s presumptive presidential nominee in the hopes that doing so will help flip Senate control.”

Former VA Gubernatorial candidate, Ken Cuccinelli: ““A lot of us are just hanging back, not casting judgment on him as the nominee at this point,” Cuccinelli said, noting that he recently told Trump’s campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, that movement conservatives want to see some “overlap on positions and on beliefs” before giving Trump their support.”

Sun Sentinel Editorial: Bush anti-Trump stance beats Rubio’s: “Since Trump is the only candidate remaining, that means Rubio intends to support a con man he fears will initiate a nuclear holocaust.”

Senator Mike Lee [R-UT]: “said Wednesday that Donald Trump “scares me to death” and that he still has concerns about the presumptive Republican presidential nominee and isn’t ready to endorse him.”

Former top Romney strategist Stuart Stevens: “The looming Republican nominee is same guy who would imitate being a spokesman for himself. Sounds stable.”

Providence Journal Editorial: GOP Rebellion against Trump: “Mr. Trump’s bombast, insults and unsuitability have turned off many Republican politicians, activists and thinkers. So much so, they insist they will sit out the entire presidential race.”

Miami Mayor Tomás Regalado: “Miami Mayor Tomás Regalado remembers walking to school as a young man in Miami and getting heckled. “They said, ‘Spic, go back home,’” he recalled in an interview with the Miami Herald. “Because I had very dark hair.” That discrimination still feels raw for the 68-year-old, now silver-haired, mayor, who was born in Cuba. And the memory is one of the reasons why he said he won’t vote for presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump in November.”

Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin: “Bevin maintains that no one has the Republican nomination definitely locked up until the convention in Cleveland, which he plans to attend. “Let me see who it will be,” he said, when asked whether he will support Donald Trump. “More than the party, I’m interested in people who are conservative. Sadly, the most conservative people are no longer in the race.””

Charlotte Observer: Republican financier Art Pope says he won’t support Donald Trump: “Art Pope, a North Carolina businessman and major financial backer of Republican candidates, said Thursday he won’t support Donald Trump for president.”

Rep. Adam Kinzinger [R-IL]: “I’d love to eventually get to where I can endorse the Republican nominee. I’m a Republican, but the Republican nominee has to talk like a Republican. He has to have some Republican values. And frankly, he has to be worthy of inheriting the job of Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan and the tone I hear from Donald Trump is not there yet.”

Rep. Tim Huelskamp [R-KS]: “And it’s not just – it’s not just me, but I think there are millions of soccer moms, football dads, baseball dads across America, and they’re trying to raise their children in a tough culture. And here they have a presidential candidate who is demeaning the women, he’s vulgar, he’s crass, I don’t know where they’re going to go. […] Again, I have a nine-year-old and he can’t even listen to the guy on television. How will he bridge that gap?”

Speaker Paul Ryan [R-WI]: “U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan of Janesville remained unwilling Saturday to say if he would endorse Trump.”

AP: Donald who? Wisconsin Republicans avoid talking Trump: “Mixed feelings about presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump were on full display Saturday at the Wisconsin GOP convention, with Gov. Scott Walker and other officeholders not even speaking his name.”

Robert Gates, Former U.S. Secretary of Defense: “Well, I have some real issues with things he said about national security policy and some concerns. I think there are some contradictions. You can’t have a trade war with China and then turn around and ask them to help you on North Korea. I have no idea what his policy would be in terms of dealing with ISIS. I worry a little bit about his admiration for Vladimir Putin.”

Rep. Tom Cole [R-OK]: “Over the course of the campaign, he’s already said some things that he ought to regret. And I think he will regret politically…”

Conservative columnist George Will: “The interesting thing is the mating dance between Donald Trump and Paul Ryan. In a statement issued after their meeting, but I’ll bet dollars to doughnuts written before the meeting, they refer to our few differences, they spoke of our many important areas of common ground and urged Republicans to unite around our shared principles, to which one response is name one, one shared principle.”

Michael Gerson, conservative commentator: Conservatives make a deal with the devil: “It is humorous — in a sad, bitter, tragic sort of way — to see Republican leaders, and some conservative commentators, try to forget or minimize Trump’s history of odious proposals and statements. The argument seems to be: “I say tomato. You say Mexican immigrants are rapists. What’s the big difference?””

Tom Ridge, Former Secretary of Homeland Security under President George W. Bush: “With a bumper sticker approach to policy, his bombastic tone reflects the traits of a bully, not an American president and statesman. If he cannot unite Republicans, how can he unite America? I simply cannot endorse him.”

Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez: “Republican Miami-Dade mayor won’t make presidential endorsement: the mayor, who has golfed with presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump, still refused to pick a side. “I’m not going to make a statement about anything,” he said.”

Ohio Governor John Kasich: “John Kasich has yet to decide whether to back presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump and is “not inclined” to serve as Trump’s vice presidential candidate, saying the controversial billionaire needs to take a unifying tone.”

Eliot Cohen, Counselor to U.S. Department of State under President George W. Bush: “Mr. Trump’s temperament, his proclivity for insult and deceit and his advocacy of unpredictability would make him a presidential disaster — especially in the conduct of foreign policy, where clarity and consistency matter.”

Jeb Bush: ​“First, not all Hispanics are Mexican… Secondly, not all Hispanics eat tacos. Thirdly, showing your sensitivity by eating an American dish is the most insensitive thing you can do. Fourthly, to say this, next to all things he already said, is a further insult. It’s like eating a watermelon and saying ‘I love African-Americans.’… If we lose in November, we Republicans have ourselves to blame.”

Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen [R-FL]: On supporting Donald Trump: “No, I’m not. And who would have ever thought when I did that interview that talking about having a transgender son would be more comfortable than saying I’m not going to support my Republican party nominee?” Rep. Reid Ribble [R-WI]: “Ribble…remains deeply opposed to Donald Trump while his party begins to rally around him. “It’s an unrecoverable relationship, let me put it that way,” Ribble says of his attitude toward the New York developer, a candidate he says lacks the temperament to be president.”

Ken Cobb, Chair Beltrami County, Minnesota Republicans: “Speaking on my behalf … I am concerned about our presumptive nominee, that he is at odds with the principles that make our party what it is,” Cobb said. “I’m concerned that he will do considerable damage just by association to our candidates who are conservatives.”

John Weaver, former Chief Strategist for John Kasich: “I think a combination of his rhetoric, his inability to bring people together, which is what you have to do in swing stages like Michigan, … are going to put Michigan out of reach for him.”

Minnesota State GOP Convention Delegate Walter Hudson: “We want to send a clear message that Republicans in Minnesota categorically reject the divisive candidacy of Donald Trump.”

P. Andrews McLane, Major Romney 2012 Contributor: “I’m sitting this one out… In good conscience, I could not vote for that man. He shoots before he aims – over and over and over again.”

Beau Correll, Virginia Republican delegate: “We deserve better than someone that has adolescent temper tantrums to be commander-in-chief of our nuclear arsenal and 450-ship Navy.”

Wisconsin conservative radio host Charles Sykes: “Asked what he might do given the looming choices this November, fervent anti-Donald Trump talk radio host Charlie Sykes had a simple response. Root for the Green Bay Packers.”

Daily Caller: David Koch Pledges Millions To Gary Johnson’s Presidential Bid: “Billionaire businessman and philanthropist David Koch has pledged “tens of millions of dollars” to help bankroll the campaign of Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson, according to a source within Johnson’s campaign.”

Rolling Stone: R.I.P., GOP: How Trump Is Killing the Republican Party: “After Indiana, a historic chasm opened in the ranks of the party. The two former President Bushes, along with Mitt Romney, announced they wouldn’t attend Trump’s coronation at the convention in Cleveland. Additionally, House Speaker Paul Ryan refused to say he would support the nominee. There were now two Republican Parties.”

Steele County, MN Republican Party Chair Dave Thul Resigned In Opposition To Trump: “We’re a party of freedom and we’re a party of limited government… Those are things that he has not espoused on the campaign trail. we’re sending a signal that the type of vulgar attacks and personal attacks that are his stock and trade have no place in politics, especially here in Minnesota.”

Newsweek: How the GOP Can Survive Trump: “Republican leaders are convinced he will create a tidal wave of losses for the GOP in November. The coolness to—and outright rejection of—Trump is widespread within the party. Paul Ryan, the speaker of the House, has not endorsed him. Representatives Barbara Comstock (R-Va.) and Ann Wagner (R-Mo.), both facing re-election, have said Trump has to earn their vote. Then there are those who have said they will not endorse Trump under any circumstances, including Senators Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), Dean Heller (R-Nev.) and Ben Sasse (R-Neb.). Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) has been among the most vocal critics.”

Seth Klarman, New England’s Top Campaign Contributor: “Boston billionaire Seth Klarman, president of the private investment firm The Baupost Group and New England’s number one campaign contributor, said through a representative that he would not — now or in the future — donate to Trump’s campaign.”

The Hill: Tough choice for vulnerable GOP senators: Embrace or reject Trump: “Historically, vulnerable congressional candidates who distance themselves from their parties’ nominees have had mixed results. Many Senate Republicans face those prospects this year, with forecasters predicting a historic down-ticket drag caused by controversial presumptive nominee Donald Trump.”

Rep. Peter King [R-NY]: “I still have real questions with him as far as national security. I don’t think his Asian policy is coherent, because, again, if he does want to get in a trade war with China, he has to explain how that coincides with him wanting to use China against North Korea. If he wants to have leverage over China, how can he be talking about taking troops out of Japan and Korea?”

Washington Post: Dear Republicans: ‘Endorse’ and ‘support’ mean the same thing: “Trump’s unpredictability as a candidate, coupled with his deeply negative poll numbers among a number of swing voting blocs, make him a dangerous figure for vulnerable incumbents. Totally abandon Trump and run the risk of the GOP base, who clearly chose him as the party’s presidential nominee, abandoning you. Stick too closely to Trump and you could lose any chance of wooing independent and Democratic-leaning voters you need to win. It’s a lose-lose.”

Business Insider: Some of the GOP’s most vulnerable candidates are doing verbal gymnastics to avoid Donald Trump: “Following Donald Trump’s success in the primaries, many Republican Senate candidates seeking reelection in 2016 have been faced with a dilemma: Do they endorse Trump or run away from him? Many are instead trying a third option. Republicans are developing some creative ways to distance themselves from the presumptive nominee without alienating his fervent supporters.”

Speaker Paul Ryan [R-WI]: “In @GlennThrush interview, @SpeakerRyan won’t say if he thinks Trump is conservative, compares him to rudderless ship.”

Rep. Mia Love [R-UT]:”Love — who represents Utah, where support for Trump has been tepid — said anyone’s offensive comment “deserves some sort of explanation.” She said she’s not endorsed Trump and wouldn’t want him campaigning with her. “I am not Donald Trump. And Donald Trump is not Utah,” she said.”

Connecticut investor Michael K. Vlock: “Michael K. Vlock, a Connecticut investor who has given nearly $5 million to Republicans at the federal level since 2014, said he considered Mr. Trump a dangerous person. “He’s an ignorant, amoral, dishonest and manipulative, misogynistic, philandering, hyper-litigious, isolationist, protectionist blowhard,” Mr. Vlock said. Mr. Vlock said he might give to Hillary Clinton instead.”

CBS: Washington state GOP snubs Trump in delegate elections: “At the Washington state Republican convention this weekend, 40 of the state’s 41 elected GOP delegates went not to Trump but to Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, Trump’s primary challenger in the race. … Even Trump’s state campaign chairman in Washington, state Sen. Don Benton, didn’t snag a delegate slot in the anti-Trump crowd.”

NY Times: Key G.O.P. Donors Still Deeply Resist Donald Trump’s Candidacy: “A powerful array of the Republican Party’s largest financial backers remain deeply resistant to Donald J. Trump’s presidential candidacy, forming a wall of opposition that could make it exceedingly difficult for him to meet his goal of raising $1 billion before the November election. … More than a dozen of the party’s most reliable individual contributors and wealthy families indicated that they would not give to or raise money for Mr. Trump. This group has contributed a combined $90 million to conservative candidates and causes in the last three federal elections.”

RGA Finance Chair Fred Malek: “Yes, there are a number of donors who are holding back - a number of my friends, good friends, who are very good Republicans are holding back.”

Rep. Barbara Comstock [R-VA]: “Questioned about Trump, Rep. Barbara Comstock kept walking but said she has a record of “leading for women” in her Virginia district outside Washington, D.C. She steered a reporter to a previous comment to The Washington Post that Trump “needs to earn the votes of me and many others.””

Washington Post: In anti-Trump district, Comstock keeps her distance from presumptive nominee: “That other Donald Trump — the one who wants to win the White House, temporarily ban Muslims and deport undocumented immigrants — is one Comstock is trying to ignore as she seeks a second term in her diverse Virginia district.”

LA Times: These Republicans couldn’t possibly vote for Trump, but will they go for Clinton?“Atlanta-area attorney Mathew Titus, a faithful Republican and suburban father of three, is so disheartened with Donald Trump as the presumed GOP nominee he plans to sit out the presidential election this year. … “That the party, the electorate, would favor Trump is crazy in my mind,” said Titus, adding that several of his friends feel the same way. “I definitely feel like an orphan …. Am I even part of this party?””

Associated Press: Most House GOP women in tough races biding time on Trump: “House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., has withheld his endorsement, citing questions about policy and party unity while giving cover to hesitant rank-and-file Republicans. Male congressional Republicans in difficult races and women in secure seats are also distancing themselves.”

Rep. Ann Wagner [R-MO]:”I think it puts all women in an awkward position,” Rep. Ann Wagner, R-Mo., whose seat is safe and is a leader of the House GOP campaign committee, said of Trump’s impact on female Republican lawmakers. “And I want to see that tone and temperament changed.”

Washington Post: Mitt Romney will skip Trump’s nominating convention in Cleveland: Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee, plans to skip this summer’s Republican National Convention in Cleveland where Donald Trump will be officially nominated – an unusual move that underscores the deep unease many Republican leaders have about the brash celebrity mogul as their standard bearer.

Former Senator Bob Dole: “Despite the fact that Bob Dole is attending the RNC this year, he will not commit to voting for the Republican nominee in November.”

Michigan Governor Rick Snyder: “Gov. Rick Snyder, a Republican in his second and final term as governor, maintained a distance from the political race. His spokesman, Ari Adler, said Wednesday that Snyder was “not planning on getting involved in the presidential election right now, as he has too many immediate challenges to address,” including the Flint water crisis and funding for Detroit schools.”

Albuquerque Journal: Martinez not ready to endorse Trump: Republican Gov. Susana Martinez isn’t endorsing the GOP’s presumptive presidential nominee, Donald Trump – not now, anyway.

Rep. Rod Blum [R-IA]: “Did not respond to multiple requests for comment from the Register” about whether he would support Trump.

Reps. Steve Stivers & Pat Tiberi [R-OH]: “Neither House member mentioned whether they’d support Trump.”

Rep. Steve King [R-IA]: “I’ve never seen a nominee pour out so many insults on other people as Donald Trump has,” King said. “This isn’t the day to highlight all those and grind through all that, but I’ll say this: Donald Trump will have to reach out to conservatives and do some convincing.”

Politico: McCain on tape: Trump damages my reelection hopes: ““If Donald Trump is at the top of the ticket, here in Arizona, with over 30 percent of the vote being the Hispanic vote, no doubt that this may be the race of my life,” McCain said, according to a recording of the event obtained by POLITICO. “If you listen or watch Hispanic media in the state and in the country, you will see that it is all anti-Trump. The Hispanic community is roused and angry in a way that I’ve never seen in 30 years.””

Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin: “Even though Donald Trump cleared the Republican presidential field after his victory Tuesday in Indiana and became the presumptive GOP nominee, Bevin, a Republican, said Thursday that it would be a mistake to endorse anyone yet.”

Joe Straus, Texas House Speaker: “I thought the speaker of the U.S. House had some interesting comments yesterday,” Straus told The Texas Tribune on Friday when asked if he planned to back Trump. Pressed on whether he was agreeing with Ryan, Straus replied, “I will just say that I thought his comments were well-thought out and made a lot of sense to me.”

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers [R-WA]: “Count Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers among the Republican lawmakers who are hesitant about Donald Trump as the presumptive GOP presidential nominee….‘I would like to ask him questions about some of the statements he’s made.’ McMorris Rodgers said some of those questions would be about Trump’s statements regarding women, words she called ‘hurtful’ and ‘inappropriate’ in an interview with the New York Times in March.”

New Republic: Republicans Cannot Give Up on #NeverTrump: “Nearly the entire GOP elite, including the segment of the elite making peace with Trump, is aghast at his nomination.”

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers [R-WA]: “The House’s top-ranking GOP woman, said last week she is voting for Trump though “not exactly” with enthusiasm and “vehemently” opposes his remarks about women, the disabled and others.”

Conservative blogger Erick Erickson: “If the Republican Party wants to go in [Trump’s] direction, I guess I’m not a Republican anymore … I think it’s going to be a pretty big loss for Donald Trump in November, and down-ballot devastation for Republicans.”

Washington Examiner: Young Republican official resigns over ‘racist, hateful’ Trump: “A Young Republican official announced on Monday evening that she is resigning her national position over what she calls the ‘racist, hateful, fascist’ party of Donald Trump.”

Young Republicans of South Carolina leader Katrina Elaine Jorgensen: “If we have instead decided to uphold a man who does not represent us or our views — a man that has belittled war heroes, explicitly stated misogynist beliefs, relied on intimidation of minorities, insulted our international allies, rewarded violence, championed divisive rhetoric and proved completely uneducated in conservative fiscal policy — I cannot participate in that.”

Jennifer Rubin: “Whether it is incoherence on the topic of the day, his refusal to prove he’s as rich as he says or the real possibility of a debate meltdown, it is no wonder that House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis. refuses to bet on him. It’s a sucker’s bet.”

Ohio Gov. John Kasich: “The governor reiterated that he is in no rush to support presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump. And he indicated that an endorsement might never come. “Unless I see a fundamental change it’s really hard for me to do a merger,” said Kasich, choosing a business analogy that Trump, a wealthy real estate mogul, would understand.”

Speaker Paul Ryan [R-WI]: “The Republican from Wisconsin says he wouldn’t risk a wager on Donald Trump winning the general election in November, despite the presumptive nominee’s insistence that he can unify the GOP and the country to bring his party a win. “I’m not a betting man,” Ryan told Politico‘s Off Message podcast.”

Glenn Beck: “I guess unlike some politicians, I say what I mean and mean what I say. So I’m not suddenly in love with Donald Trump, nor a supporter of Donald Trump.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham [R-SC]: “Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said Monday he still isn’t supporting Donald Trump … “If you want to give money to Mr. Trump that’s up to you. I’m urging you to give money to my House and Senate colleagues,” Graham told reporters Monday. “I have not changed my position about the presidential race.””
Spokesman for New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez: "The governor will not be bullied into supporting a candidate until she is convinced that candidate will fight for New Mexicans. Governor Martinez doesn’t care about what Donald Trump says about her — she cares about what he says he will do to help New Mexicans. She’s disappointed that she didn’t hear anything about that last night.”
Michael Gerson: The Trump train is fueled by conspiracy: "As a leader, Trump has succeeded by appealing to stereotypes and ugly hatreds that most American leaders have struggled to repress and contain. His political universe consists of deceptive experts, of scheming, of criminal Mexicans, of lying politicians and bureaucrats and of disloyal Muslims. Asked to repudiate David Duke and the Ku Klux Klan, Trump hesitated, later claiming a “bad earpiece.” Asked to repudiate the vicious anti-Semitism of some of his followers, Trump responded, “I don’t have a message to the fans.” Wouldn’t want to offend “the fans.” This is not flirting with the fringes; it is French-kissing them. Every Republican official endorsing Trump should know: This is the company he keeps. This is the company you now keep."
American Enterprise Institute's Charles Murray: "In my view, Donald Trump is unfit to be president in ways that apply to no other candidate of the two major political parties throughout American history. ... Just watch and listen to the man. Don’t concoct elaborate rationalizations. Just watch and listen. ... What you see on your television screen every day from Donald Trump the candidate is the best that you can expect from Donald Trump the president."
Calvin Turnquest, Former Congressional Candidate & Palm Beach GOP Caucus Chair [R-FL]: ".@realDonaldTrump is a #trojanhorse & I can't support him 4 #POTUS. I resign my position with @PalmBeachGOP as a Caucus Chair. #NeverTrump"
Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay [R-TX]: On the impact of Trump's attacks on Republican New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez on GOP party unity: "It impacts every Republican, especially incumbents that are running for re-election in this year. They're having to stand up and explain Donald Trump. This is -- I have no other word for it, this is just stupid politics. ... Where is he going to get his coalition to help him win?"
Speaker Paul Ryan [R-WI]: "Asked by THE WEEKLY STANDARD about some of the problematic statements and actions Trump has made on the campaign trail—dismissing the service of American prisoners of war, mocking a physically disabled reporter, and denigrating women for their appearance—Ryan waved away the question. TWS: Which of these should Donald Trump apologize for, if any of them? RYAN: I'm not going to get into this now."

Kathy Szeliga, Republican delegate from Maryland: "I have very deep concerns about what he's said about women and how he's treated women. And I'm, you know, gonna wait and see how he addresses those issues."



Spokesman for New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez: “The governor will not be bullied into supporting a candidate until she is convinced that candidate will fight for New Mexicans. Governor Martinez doesn’t care about what Donald Trump says about her — she cares about what he says he will do to help New Mexicans. She’s disappointed that she didn’t hear anything about that last night.”
Michael Gerson: The Trump train is fueled by conspiracy: "As a leader, Trump has succeeded by appealing to stereotypes and ugly hatreds that most American leaders have struggled to repress and contain. His political universe consists of deceptive experts, of scheming, of criminal Mexicans, of lying politicians and bureaucrats and of disloyal Muslims. Asked to repudiate David Duke and the Ku Klux Klan, Trump hesitated, later claiming a “bad earpiece.” Asked to repudiate the vicious anti-Semitism of some of his followers, Trump responded, “I don’t have a message to the fans.” Wouldn’t want to offend “the fans.” This is not flirting with the fringes; it is French-kissing them. Every Republican official endorsing Trump should know: This is the company he keeps. This is the company you now keep."
American Enterprise Institute's Charles Murray: "In my view, Donald Trump is unfit to be president in ways that apply to no other candidate of the two major political parties throughout American history. ... Just watch and listen to the man. Don’t concoct elaborate rationalizations. Just watch and listen. ... What you see on your television screen every day from Donald Trump the candidate is the best that you can expect from Donald Trump the president."
Calvin Turnquest, Former Congressional Candidate & Palm Beach GOP Caucus Chair [R-FL]: ".@realDonaldTrump is a #trojanhorse & I can't support him 4 #POTUS. I resign my position with @PalmBeachGOP as a Caucus Chair. #NeverTrump"
Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay [R-TX]: On the impact of Trump's attacks on Republican New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez on GOP party unity: "It impacts every Republican, especially incumbents that are running for re-election in this year. They're having to stand up and explain Donald Trump. This is -- I have no other word for it, this is just stupid politics. ... Where is he going to get his coalition to help him win?"
Speaker Paul Ryan [R-WI]: "Asked by THE WEEKLY STANDARD about some of the problematic statements and actions Trump has made on the campaign trail—dismissing the service of American prisoners of war, mocking a physically disabled reporter, and denigrating women for their appearance—Ryan waved away the question. TWS: Which of these should Donald Trump apologize for, if any of them? RYAN: I'm not going to get into this now."
Kathy Szeliga, Republican delegate from Maryland: "I have very deep concerns about what he's said about women and how he's treated women. And I'm, you know, gonna wait and see how he addresses those issues."

Rick Wilson, GOP Political Consultant: “What this story and other emerging information shows is the Trump is hiding a deliberate and structured system of tax avoidance that many observers would consider over the line between clever and dodgy.”

Hewlett Packard CEO Meg Whitman: "“Donald Trump's trade plan would hurt American businesses and workers, Hewlett Packard Enterprise CEO Meg Whitman told CNBC on Wednesday. ‘I think his policies around free trade will be damaging to businesses as a whole,’ said Whitman, a Republican who waged an unsuccessful gubernatorial campaign in California in 2010."
Doug Heye, Former RNC communications director: How Donald Trump’s Attack on Susana Martinez Undermines the GOP–and Trump: "This attack hurts Mr. Trump’s efforts to unite the Republican Party and to expand his support outside a core share of Republican primary voters. Many Republicans–whether elected officials, party operatives, top fundraisers, past Trump opponents, or everyday voters–continue to resist Mr. Trump and see his recent efforts at unity as, at best, halfhearted."

Albuquerque Journal: Republicans defend Gov. Martinez after Trump attack: "High-profile GOP figures, including House Speaker Paul Ryan and former presidential candidates Marco Rubio, Jeb Bush and John Kasich, came to Martinez’s defense after Trump assailed the two-term Republican governor in his rally at the Albuquerque Convention Center and mused about launching a New Mexico gubernatorial run of his own." 

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker: Defending New Mexico Governor Susan Martinez from Trump's attacks: "I think as Republicans, as a party at least, we're very proud that we elected the first Latina governor as a party, the first female governor in New Mexico, and she's done a phenomenal job," 

Speaker Paul Ryan [R–WI]: Following phone call with Trump: “We had a very productive discussion, I’ll leave it at that.” BuzzFeed: Trump Super PAC Chair Criticizes Trump For Going After Susana Martinez: "Ed Rollins, a co-chairman of a super PAC backing Donald Trump, rebuked Trump for criticizing New Mexico’s Republican governor, Susana Martinez, at a Tuesday rally in Albuquerque. ... “I’d try and be making friends, particularly among people that have a big play in a state like she has.”"
Jennifer Rubin: "To measure a country by its wealth is equally noxious, a repudiation of values such as respect for human dignity and generosity. No wonder Trump admires Vladimir Putin; they share the same standards, worship the same idols of wealth and power. Rep. Adam Kinzinger [R-IL]: "It’s not just because it’s offensive to them to hear that we should ban all Muslims ... When Trump makes comments like ‘ban ‘em all’ it does real harm to our international affairs."

Mitt Romney: “I wanted my grandkids to see that I simply couldn’t ignore what Mr. Trump was saying and doing, which revealed a character and temperament unfit for the leader of the free world.”

Josh Romney: “When the grandkids ask ‘What did you do to stop Donald Trump?’ what are you going to say?’”

Politico: RNC scrambles to calm state GOP officials: "With many of the party’s financiers cool on Trump, how much money the party will raise is an open question. Now the situation, state GOP officials say, is critical."

US News & World Report: Trump Attacks Fellow Republicans: "GOP strategists and leaders expected more of a congenial tone and unifying spirit from Trump now that the real estate developer is on a clear path to the Republican presidential nomination. But, his comments run the risk of further alienating some of the same GOP figures that he will presumably need to propel his campaign in the fall general-election campaign."