Monday on Newsmax TV’s”The Steve Malzberg Show,” Republican political consultant Mary Matalin said she needs some conservative reassurances from presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump before she commits to voting for him, arguing she wasn’t just going to vote for Trump to stop Hillary.
Matalin said, “I’ve always been a Libertarian. I felt libertarianism was a sound and solid and eternal element of conservationism I’m a Libertarian I can still vote for Republicans. Much ado about nothing. But I’m not going to vote just to stop Hillary from getting there. We have to get some — concessions is not the right word — but if he is such a good negotiator than negotiate this. We want the Supreme Court and we want some regulatory ideas and we want to know that you are not going to make it worse than Obama.”
When asked about Speaker of the House Paul Ryan’s doubts on Trump, Matalin said, “I know Paul Ryan to be a consistent conservative and he always has been. He is in a tricky situation. I’m not defending—there are plenty of stout conservatives—Tea Party people—in the Congress, so I think he can do better. He will do better, but at least he is waving the flag of conservative principles. I thought it was a pretty principled stand and I don’t think he’s doing it, as some have speculated, because he wants to ‘white knight’ the convention. I’m not saying that. Trump has won fair and square. What I am saying is, if he thinks he can win without conservatives, or if we want to say that there is one party system and it’s the Democrats and the Republican Democrats, then that’s what we should know what we’re voting on. At some point, somebody’s going to win and believe it or not, most presidents do what they say they’re going to do. So wouldn’t it be nice if we knew what he was really going to do, except build the wall and make the Mexicans pay for it?”
When asked if Trump satisfies her questions would she vote for him, Matalin said, “I’m not ruling out, but I’m not ruling in on a whim and on party loyalty. I’m not a party person or a person person. I’m a principled person.”
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