Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump refused to rule out a bid to remove House Speaker Paul Ryan from his post as chair of the upcoming Republican convention. Ryan, the nation’s most powerful elected Republican, has so far declined to endorse Trump. Speaking to George Stephanopoulos on ABC’s “This Week,” Trump said the Republican Party does not necessarily have to unify for him to win.
Donald Trump: “Does the party have to be together? Does it have to be unified? I’m very different than everybody else, perhaps, that’s ever run for office. I actually don’t think so. I think that…”
George Stephanopoulos: “It doesn’t have to be unified?”
Donald Trump: “No, I don’t think so. I think it would be better if it were unified. I think it would be—there would be something good about it. But I don’t think it actually has to be unified in the traditional sense. ”
George Stephanopoulos: “But if the party’s split, how do you win?”
Donald Trump: “Because I think I’m going to go out and I’m going to get millions of people from the Democrats, I’m going to get Bernie people to vote, because they like me on trade. I have to stay true to my principles also. And I’m a conservative. But don’t forget, this is called the Republican Party, it’s not called the Conservative Party. You know, there are conservative parties. This is called the Republican Party.”