Donald Trump is loosing the Republican brand
OMG! This list of Trump critics are brutally startling....!!
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.
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."
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."
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:
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:
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.”
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."
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."
Labels: Speaker Paul Ryan, Texas, The Briefing Blog
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