Trump mends fences
Endorses GOPers
Donald Trump attempted to reboot his campaign yet again on Friday by endorsing House Speaker Paul Ryan and ending bitter feuds with two other Republicans.
The GOP presidential candidate, at a rally in Green Bay, Wis., Friday evening, tried to portray a sense of party unity as his campaign weathered disappointing poll numbers and swirling controversies all this week.
“We will have disagreements but we will disagree as friends and never stop working together toward victory. And very importantly, toward real change,” Trump said.
“So in our shared mission to make America great again, I support and endorse our speaker of the House, Paul Ryan.’’
He added, “We may disagree on a couple of things but mostly we agree and we’re going to get it done.”
The endorsement came after Trump shocked the GOP establishment earlier this week by declining to endorse Ryan in his primary election next Tuesday.
During an interview with The Washington Post earlier this week, Trump said that he was “just not quite there yet” on endorsing Ryan.
At Friday’s event, Trump also endorsed GOP Sens. John McCain of Arizona and Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire.
“I need a Republican Senate and House to accomplish all of the changes that we have to make. We have to make them,” Trump said, referring to his sudden change of heart.
“I understand and embrace the wisdom of Ronald Regan’s big tent within the party. Big, big tent, remember? Ronald Reagan. Great man. Great guy.”
Earlier this week, Trump had called Ayotte “weak” and “disloyal” while claiming McCain “should have done a much better job for the vets.”
Trump’s sniping came during a week of plummeting poll numbers that have put even some solidly Republican states, such as Georgia, in play.
By attempting to mend fences with the GOP establishment, Trump made another attempt to pivot after a week dominated by internal struggles and Trump’s battle with the Muslim Khan family, whose son was killed in Iraq while serving in the US Army.
Some members of Team Trump believe the effort is too little too late.
“You can only berate so many Gold Star families,” one insider told The Post, referring to the Khans.
Joe Borelli, a Trump co-chair in New York, said the campaign will weather the storm.
“I think the arguments of just staying on message and hitting Hillary Clinton is the right message,” Borelli said.