| CNN | - |
(CNN)
House Speaker Paul Ryan said Thursday he cannot yet support presumptive
Republican nominee Donald Trump's presidential campaign.
ENLARGE
Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan had been neutral in regard to the presidential race.
Photo:
jim lo scalzo/European Pressphoto Agency
Asked if he would support Mr. Trump, Mr. Ryan told CNN: “I’m just not ready to do that at this point. I’m not there right now. And I hope to though, and I want to. But I think what is required is that we unify this party. And I think the bulk of the burden on unifying this party will have to come from the presumptive nominee.”
“What Republicans want to see is that we have a standard-bearer that bears our standards,” Mr. Ryan said.
Mr. Ryan said he hoped eventually to support Mr. Trump as the nominee, but his refusal to do so now is a remarkable addition to the number of prominent Republicans who have declined to close ranks around Mr. Trump in the days after the field cleared.
More on Election 2016
- GOP Lawmakers Take Stock of Running With Trump May 5, 2016
- Trump Says He Would Replace Yellen May 5, 2016
- How Trump Won—and How the GOP Let Him May 5, 2016
- Donald Trump Won’t Self-Fund General-Election Campaign May 4, 2016
- Kasich Leaves Clear GOP Path for Trump May 4, 2016
Earlier in the week, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus called for the party to unite around Mr. Trump, following Texas Sen. Ted Cruz’s exit from the race. “We’re going to get behind the presumptive nominee,” he said Wednesday.
Write to Janet Hook at janet.hook@wsj.com
