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ASSOCIATED PRESS
House Speaker Paul D. Ryan, R-Wis., talks during a campaign rally for U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., during Johnsons U.S. Senate campaign kickoff tour Thursday, May 5, 2016 in Burlington, Wis.
WASHINGTON >> Donald Trump said Friday he was surprised by House Speaker Paul Ryan’s rebuff of him as the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.
“He talks about unity but what is this about unity?” he said in a nationally broadcast interview.
Ryan’s declaration that he wasn’t yet ready to embrace Trump sent shockwaves through the very Republican establishment that the New York billionaire is asking for help as he transitions from the primary season to a general-election campaign, most likely against Democrat Hillary Clinton.
“I was really surprised by it,” Trump said in a phone-interview with Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends.” He added: “It’s not a good thing. It’s something the party should get solved quickly.”
Trump says he will meet with Ryan, R-Wis., next week, possibly as early as Wednesday. As for choosing a running mate, Trump would say only that the person will not be a Democrat. He had indicated earlier this week following his win in the Indiana primary that he would likely settle on a political person with Washington experience — someone who could help him get legislation through Congress.
“I’m going to pick a Republican and we’ll have a tremendous victory,” Trump said Friday, noting he was particularly pleased to have the backing of former 2016 presidential campaign rival Rick Perry of Texas.
When asked about backing Trump, Ryan told CNN on Thursday: “I’m not there right now,” although he hoped to be eventually. “I think what is required is that we unify this party,” Ryan said.
Meanwhile, Trump’s advisers commenced conversations with the Republican National Committee on coordinating fundraising and tapping into the committee’s extensive voter data file and nationwide get-out-the-vote operation.
RNC officials sent a draft of a joint fundraising proposal to the Trump campaign on Thursday that details how they would divide donations between the campaign, the national committee, the national convention committee and several state parties. The agreement, standard practice in modern-day campaigns, is expected to be finalized in the coming days.
Trump on Thursday named a finance chairman, Steven Mnuchin, a private investor with ties to New York and Hollywood who has never led a major political fundraising team. Many major GOP donors have never heard of him — or even know how to pronounce his name (muh-NOO-chihn). Like his new boss, Mnuchin has a record of giving both to Republicans and Democrats, including Democrat Hillary Clinton during her 2008 presidential run.
Trump also has received a cool reception from the 2012 GOP standard-bearer, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former President George W. Bush. Neither Bush nor his father, former President George H.W. Bush have embraced Trump, and neither plans to attend the party convention in Cleveland in July.
The divisiveness within the top echelons of the party sends an unmistakable signal to Republican fundraising networks, which include most of the GOP’s best-connected donors.
“You might have a lot of these donors sit on the sidelines,” said Spencer Zwick, who led Romney’s fundraising efforts and now serves as Ryan’s national finance chairman.
Trump has not yet ruled out accepting public financing for his general-election effort. Taking public money would dramatically limit how much he can spend this fall.
The billionaire acknowledges he would have to sell some of his holdings to muster the hundreds of millions of dollars for a general-election bid, something he says he doesn’t necessarily want to do.
Meanwhile, Ryan is positioning himself to play a central role in helping to protect vulnerable House and Senate candidates heading into the general election. The speaker has long been working on an “agenda project” that could give Republicans something to run on independently from their presidential nominee.
“He’s constantly out there talking about his agenda,” Zwick said of Ryan, adding: “Many people aren’t sure what the Trump agenda is yet.”
Trump and Ryan have publicly clashed in the past. Ryan rebuked Trump for plans to bar Muslims from the country and when he was slow to disavow former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke. Trump told a crowd in South Carolina in February that Ryan doomed the GOP presidential ticket four years ago by saying entitlement programs need reform.
Ryan acknowledged the mogul had “tapped into something in this country that was very powerful. And people are sending a message to Washington that we need to learn from and listen to.”
“But at the same time, now that we have a presumptive nominee who is going to be our standard-bearer, I think it’s very important that there’s a demonstration that our standards will be beared,” Ryan said.
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Associated Press writers Julie Bykowicz in Washington and Jill Colvin in Charleston, West Virginia, contributed to this report.
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Follow Steve Peoples and Erica Werner on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/sppeoples and http://twitter.com/ericawerner
Traditional Republican supporters oppose Trump and his policies large and small businesses, and conservatives. Trump’s heavy handed regulations of immigration, healthcare, and taxes will burden businesses. Large businesses will be be hurt by Trump’s trade restrictions causing American companies to lose to foreign competitions in the world market. Stock market investors will turn from American to foreign companies as Trump tries to force American companies back to the USA.
Guess these Old Boys GOP switched sides to Hillary. Politics as usual and they don’t care if the Democrats win.
With this careless, sophomoric outburst in public instead of behind closed doors, Ryan may soon kiss his Speakership good bye.
“Donald Trump said Friday he was surprised by House Speaker Paul Ryan’s rebuff”
Well, he never struck me as a particularly perceptive judge of character.
Donald if your reading these comments, when meeting with Ryan, DO NOT cave you got the Power. Let Ryan destroy the party if that’s what he’s wanting
“‘I think it’s very important that there’s a demonstration that our standards will be beared,’ Ryan said.”
“Beared”? He really said “beared?
lol……….
Yeah. I almost sprayed coffee on my computer screen when I read that.
It’s good to be rebuffed by an Eddie Munster wanna-be. By the way, what has the wanna-be accomplished in the time he has been “Speaker of the House”. Anyone,,,,,,,crickets…….
Whatever the case might be the timing was wrong. As soon as the other two quit Ryan’s true colors were “beared”.
He should have waited.
Ryan is going to have a tough reelection. Trump gets mad and he gets even. Just ask the 17 or so candidates.
I don’t understand the GOP, they let Donald run on their ticket but really don’t like him after he’s the presumptive nominee. Hope somehow, The Donald cleans up the Old Boy shenanigans in the houses and voters makes the right choices not re-electing these politicians who’d rather lose the elections to Hillary. They only think of themselves and not the Rep. voters who have spoken.
Trump has all the career politicians on the ropes. Should he go for the knockout or trust the judges to decide the outcome? Gotta go for the KO. Trump 2016
“Party, Smarty”……Who CARES what Paul Ryan says. It’s about the People,Massive People who Donald has brought to the Republican Party! Millions!
The People are Sick and Tired of all this Politics as usual Baloney. The Republican Party. This is a Major Mistake on Ryan’s part .With a mere 6 months at the helm of The House of Representatives. He makes yet another mistake? This is a Blunder which will follow him through out his career!
Indeed Washington has truly lost it’s place. It’s now become a thing of Power,Greed and Yes! Money! Did you know that Nevada’s Harry Reid is a BILLIONAIRE! That’s with a capitol “B”…..I know he’s a Democrat,but it goes both way.And yes! The Democrat Party is the Same thing to Bernie Sanders.
These so-called Republicans are not willing to share the perks with Donald Trump. Hey! that’s fine. The Donald has Plenty of his Own. His Own. This is why people are gravitating to the Donald. He’s his own man!
But this mentality of it’s our “Country Club’ and you can’t play. Is just Plain Stupid! It’s now becomes”Transparent” that these Elite Politicians are only concerned about furthering their own political agendas(Not Yours) at the same time disposing the Will Of The People,who BTW elected them into office? How nuts is that!
It’s seems I was right all along,when I had written to Donald,to run as an Independent,because I knew (at that Time) the Republicans would most definitely….Throw you under the Bus.
Donald if you are reading this: 1st Day in Office? Term limits for all congressional members! Ha!Ha! ha! I know …I know only the States has this power ,to over ride the Senate. But for now… “Hold and Stand your Ground” the American People are behind you 100%. IMUA
If Trump could check his ego at the door, just once, he would realize that if he is president (a long shot) he won’t get anything done without the Speaker of the House. He can stay bombastic, but that rarely works in the general election.
I took the long shot at 16-1. I’ll gladly take the 2-1
“he won’t get anything done without the Speaker of the House. ”
True.
But Ryan may not be Speaker much longer.
Trump’s first task is to unite the GOP before he takes on Hilliary. If he is unable to put his huge ego in check, we will see a third term of Obama with election of Hilliary, and all the corruption and crony capitalism that Obama championed. Liberals have a problem with Hilliary, and she is a very weak candidate, but Trump has alienated a lot of people in the GOP, people that he needs to win. He’s a smart guy and he is very charismatic, so he should succeed, the problem is that when you try to bully your way with the establishment they become more resistant, so he has to use a different tactic, that’s where he may fail.
If he is unable to put his huge ego in check ….
Don’t you understand? It is his huge ego that has propelled his candidacy toward the stars. If you will take a look at his recent book “Crippled America” you will quickly understand why his message of hope and optimism – – and a LOT of hard work in the area of damage control – – has swept across fly over country like wild fire.
Why? Trump is a Republican in illusion only.
Hillary shares more with Ryan than Trump does.
Of course she does. They are part of the same club and us folks aren’t in it. Ryan may not be Speaker much longer. Think about it.
True, but irrelevant.
You still do not get it, do you?
That is intended for Choyd.
HONESTLY THIS ELECTION IS TURNING INTO A CIRCUS LETS GET IT TOGETHER PEOPLE