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Ryan: Republicans should follow 'conscience' on Trump


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Ryan: Republicans should follow 'conscience' on Trump

MATTHEW DALY, Associated Press


WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Paul Ryan says Republican lawmakers should follow their conscience in deciding whether or not to support Donald Trump, the GOP's presumptive nominee for president.

The Wisconsin Republican told NBC's "Meet the Press" that "the last thing I would do is tell anybody to do something that's contrary to their conscience. Of course I wouldn't do that."

Ryan, who has given a tepid endorsement to Trump, said he understands he is in a "very strange situation" to be supporting the party's presumptive nominee while not urging his fellow lawmakers to follow suit. But he said Trump is "a very unique nominee."

Ryan is the highest elected Republican official and the official chairman of the Republican convention next month. He stunned the political world in May when he held back his endorsement of Trump before grudgingly offering his support earlier this month. Since then, Ryan has been critical of Trump, calling the candidate's complaints about the impartiality of a judge of Mexican heritage a "textbook definition of a racist comment" and reiterating his opposition to Trump's proposal to temporarily ban all foreign Muslims from entering the United States.

As speaker of the House, Ryan said he feels a responsibility not to lead "some chasm in the middle of our party" that would hurt GOP chances to win the White House. His reluctance to embrace the party's nominee wholeheartedly is remarkable for a Republican who was the GOP's vice presidential candidate in 2012.

Ryan was interviewed Thursday for Sunday's "Meet the Press." An excerpt was released Friday.

Trump, speaking Friday at a packed convention center in The Woodlands, Texas, not far from Houston, tried to play down the rift in the party and bragged about the money he's raised in fundraisers across the state over the last two days, including an event Friday in San Antonio.

"The party is doing very well," he said, insisting that reports of a party revolt were overblown. "The party is actually liking me. You know, ... I'm an outsider and historically they don't love the outsiders. But I think they're starting to like me."

Trump added: "You don't hear about the tremendous numbers of people — and I'm even talking about the politicians — that are totally supportive. If one person raises a little question, it's like, 'Oh, did you hear?' Let me tell you folks, we have tremendous support. Tremendous. But the biggest support of all by far: right here. I'm the messenger."

Ryan told reporters at a news conference Thursday that he will continue to speak out in defense of conservative principles, despite a warning from Trump that Republican congressional leaders should "be quiet."

He and other congressional leaders "represent a separate but equal branch of government," Ryan said as he vowed to "robustly defend the separation of powers."

Ryan's comments came as Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich., a 30-year House veteran and committee chairman, said he will not endorse Trump for president. Maryland's Republican Gov. Larry Hogan also said he will not vote for the billionaire presidential candidate. And Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a former GOP candidate for president, said he's still not ready to endorse Trump.

Ryan said he has no plans to rescind his endorsement of Trump, despite his differences with him.

"I don't have a plan to do that," he said Thursday, calling differences among party leaders "just the way things work."

In the face of early opinion surveys showing him trailing Democrat Hillary Clinton, Trump insisted Friday he's well positioned to win.

"We have support like perhaps nobody's ever had when they've run for office," he said. "Certainly at this stage, I don't think anybody's ever seen anything like this."

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-- (c) Associated Press 2016-06-18

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"The party is doing very well" Okay Paul, whatever you say. "Dumpster fire" seems to cover it better.

I really don't know how Republicans could be doing any worse. (Ted Cruz?) You've got Cheeto Jesus leading his wingnut minions off a cliff with half the party reluctant to get in line. That's not exactly the definition of "very well".

Ryan's "Lipstick on a Pig" speech. He really has no choice. Republicans are toast.

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According to Ryan "Trump is "a very unique nominee.". You can say that again. Rock and a hard place doesn't even come close. The Republican Party are really struggling here. Strange times indeed in the USA. Lots of gun references going on "Shoot himself in the foot", "bite the bullet", a "long shot", a vote for Trump is a real "shot in the dark".

Go Donald go!

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The Republican establishment knows Trump cannot win against either Clinton or Sanders. The GOP will lose the presidential race and may lose the Senate and House. Hillary will start office with a huge margin. the only problem is she is just a nicer version of Trump. Neither of them would/will help the poor or middle class. The only hope would be if Hillary picked Sanders as Vice President and agree to some of his proposals which would actually heklp Americans. Other than that it's another lost 4 years with no tax reform; no real help for students with huge debt; and a poor healthcare bill.

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Thaidream, your post is correct except that Clinton would never in a million years want Bernie as VP and vice versa. Warren possibly, only as a way to shut her up, but she would loose all credibility. They will remain a thorn in her side for her 4 year stint as empress. Warren for president in 2020! No, she will pick another tool of Wall Street criminal/banksters and the ill-informed public will fall for it as they have for her. All signs are pointing to loss of the presidency for the fascist orange monster. Too bad the Democrat primary was rigged from the beginning and we don't have a real candidate that cares about the people as a candidate. He would have carried the Senate and certainly seats in the House, the empress won't.

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I thought one strict requirement to join the ranks of "Republican lawmakers" was to have their conscience surgically removed?

Was going to say the same. Republicans by and large don't have any conscience. If they did, no way in hell they can support a guy like Trump.

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The GOP leaders are finally starting to figure out that their 1000(?) votes don't mean ANYTHING and never have. When Trump went on record saying they need to "Lead, Follow or Get Out Of The Way!" because he doesn't need THEM to get the job he's campaigning for BUT they need him to keep their cushy positions.

Bernie was speaking with sour grapes in his mouth after the meeting with Obama and Reid so we could very well see the 1st race for POTUS with 4 known candidates in US history.

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There is nothing unique about hate speech, racism and bigotry.

Republicans should follow their conscience? What 'conscience' is that? FOX News, Trump, Limbaugh, Brietbart, Hannity, NRA, Westboro Baptist Church, KKK, O'Reilly etc?

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I do not believe any of the polls. The result will depend very much, imho, on the voter turnout for each party.

Sanders should have started his campaign differently. For openers, he should have labelled his platform as that of a social democrat, , rather than a socialist. Secondly, he should have decided to run as an independent. His legacy will be the creation of a new 3rd party, something needed for a long time in US politics.

The election could be be a real cliff hanger.

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The Donald will win. He has an ace up his sleeve that he will not play until she is the clear nominee. If he uses it now, Sanders becomes the nominee and Trump probably understands he can't beat him. My guess is he knows what was in those speeches. After all, he runs with the same people she made those speeches to. Right now he does not need them except to counter her demand that he release his tax returns. But watch for the Hail Mary on November 4.

As for Ryan, he has to worry about the the 247 Republicans (vs 188 Democrats) up for re-election in the House as well as the 24 Republicans (vs 10 Democrats) up for re-election in the Senate. He is doing the right thing for them, trying as much as possible to remove Trump from the equation.

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I do not believe any of the polls. The result will depend very much, imho, on the voter turnout for each party.

Sanders should have started his campaign differently. For openers, he should have labelled his platform as that of a social democrat, , rather than a socialist. Secondly, he should have decided to run as an independent. His legacy will be the creation of a new 3rd party, something needed for a long time in US politics.

The election could be be a real cliff hanger.

I agree about the polls. They have been mainly conducted by the now banned Washington Post and have shown a dramatic leap in favor of Clinton ever since Trump pulled their credentials. Funny how that happens. coffee1.gif

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Bernie never campaigned as a socialist, he is not a socialist. He is and has campaigned as a democratic socialist, in other words an FDR Democrat, like the Democrat Party is supposed to be. Trump has nothing up his sleeve, but you are right about one thing, he couldn't beat Bernie.

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I agree about the polls. They have been mainly conducted by the now banned Washington Post and have shown a dramatic leap in favor of Clinton ever since Trump pulled their credentials. Funny how that happens. coffee1.gif

Do you just make this stuff up yourself, or do you get it off the Trump website?

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/latest_polls/president/

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I agree about the polls. They have been mainly conducted by the now banned Washington Post and have shown a dramatic leap in favor of Clinton ever since Trump pulled their credentials. Funny how that happens. coffee1.gif

Do you just make this stuff up yourself, or do you get it off the Trump website?

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/latest_polls/president/

Don't worry Chicog, the donald fans only read what they want, and when is doesn't work out in there favor, than they just write some stuff.
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