Four 2016 GOP presidential candidates remain mum on whether or not they’ll support presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump in November.
Sen. Ted Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, after both dropping out of the race earlier this month, have remained undecided on whether they’ll support Trump as the Republican nominee in the general election. Sen. Rick Santorum and former New York Gov. George Pataki also haven’t weighed in on whether they’ll support the presumptive nominee.
Prior to suspending his campaign, Cruz repeatedly dodged answering the question about whether or not he would support Trump if he were the nominee.
Chuck Todd asked Cruz, “If [Trump is] the nominee, I take it you can’t support him anymore, can you?”
According to the Washington Post, “Cruz spent 772 words responding to the question — Todd chimed in every once in a while to push the Texas senator — and never really got to an answer.”
On May 10, Cruz told radio host Glenn Beck, “We’ll see what happens as the months go forward. I think we need to watch and see what the candidates say and do.”
When Kasich suspended his campaign, being the last Republican challenger against Trump, he didn’t mention Trump in his speech or indicate how he is leaning.
Two out of the sixteen 2016 GOP presidential candidates vow never to support Trump, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC).
“In November, I will not vote for Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton, but I will support principled conservatives at the state and federal levels, just as I have done my entire life, Bush posted on Facebook after Trump was coined the presumptive GOP nominee.
Graham, who had a pleasant phone call with the presumptive nominee last week, is still vowing not to support him in November.
“My position remains the same regarding both candidates running for president,” Graham stated. “I will do what I can in the Senate to help the next president. The next president will inherit a mess.”
After both Bush and Graham refused to fall in line to support the party nominee, Trump criticized both of them for breaking the GOP party pledge all candidates took at the first GOP primary debate last summer, vowing to support the eventual nominee.
“Jeb Bush signed a pledge. A binding pledge” Trump stated during an interview after Bush’s Facebook post. Trump included Graham in his criticism saying it’s “not honorable.”
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was the first 2016 presidential candidate to back Trump after suspending his campaign following the New Hampshire primary in February.
“I said to Mary Pat, we never ever make a mistake by standing with your friend and Donald Trump is my friend,” Christie said during a fundraiser in New Jersey on Thursday.
Dr. Ben Carson also endorsed Trump after suspending his own campaign in March.
After both Cruz and Kasich suspended their campaigns in early May following the Indiana primary, former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and former Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal said they would support Trump.
Sen. Marco Rubio, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, Sen. Rand Paul, Carly Fiorina, and Jim Gilmore have all also said they’ll support the Republican nominee against likely Democrat nominee Hillary Clinton in November.
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