Paul Ryan isn’t sure if he wants to make America great again. On Thursday afternoon, CNN’s Jake Tapper asked the Speaker of the House if he is prepared to support his party’s presumptive presidential nominee.
“Well, to be perfectly candid with you, I’m not ready to do that yet,” Ryan replied. “I am not there right now. I hope to and want to.”
Ryan then suggested that Trump could earn his support by unifying the party around its time-honored values.
“I think what a lot of Republicans want to see is that we have a standard-bearer that bears our standards,” Ryan said. “We don’t always nominate a Lincoln and Reagan, but we hope that that person advances the principles of our party and appeals to a wide vast majority of Americans.”
Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell offered Trump his (tepid) endorsement on Wednesday. Other Republican elder statesman and pooh-bahs have been less welcoming. The Kochs have made their distaste for the Donald very clear, while both former presidents Bush have indicated they will not endorse his candidacy.
In March, Trump said of Speaker Ryan, “I’m sure I’m going to get along great with him, and if I don’t? He’s gonna have to pay a big price, okay?”
