Vulnerable GOP Sen. Ron Johnson Retreats On Endorsing Donald Trump

FILE - In this Oct. 9, 2015 file photo, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., speaks at a luncheon in Madison, Wis. Wisconsin Republicans struggling with accepting Donald Trump as the party's presidential nominee gather for... FILE - In this Oct. 9, 2015 file photo, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., speaks at a luncheon in Madison, Wis. Wisconsin Republicans struggling with accepting Donald Trump as the party's presidential nominee gather for the annual state convention in Green Bay beginning Friday, May 13, 2016. Johnson is among the officials who are slated to speak at the convention. (John Hart/Wisconsin State Journal via AP, File) MANDATORY CREDIT MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) on Sunday said that he intends to support but not endorse Donald Trump as the nominee, pulling back from a previous comment that he would endorse Trump if he wins the Republican presidential nomination.

“Let me tell you precisely what I’ve said. I intend to support the Republican nominee. That’s what I’ve said. I intend to support the Republican nominee,” Johnson said on Big AM 1380’s “The Mike Daly Show” when asked if he was concerned about backing Trump

Later, when asked if he was concerned about endorsing a “wild card,” Johnson differentiated between supporting and endorsing a candidate. He noted that he purposefully says, “I intend to support.”

“To me, support versus endorse are two totally different things,” Johnson said.

These comments from Johnson, who is in a tough re-election battle against former Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI), indicate that he is softening his support for Trump, given that he previously said he intended to endorse Trump as the nominee.

“I am going to certainly endorse the Republican nominee, and obviously it looks like that will be Mr. Trump,” John said earlier in May, according to the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram.

And Johnson has previously suggested he will embrace Trump on the campaign trail. In March, the senator said that Trump would help bring voter to the polls in Wisconsin. And when asked whether he would campaign with Trump, Johnson replied, “Stump with Trump? … Just because it rhymes: It’d be the Ronald (and) the Donald.”

On Sunday, Johnson noted that he does not agree with Trump on every issue, but that he will focus on common ground with the candidate.

“I will be concentrating on the areas of agreement with Mr. Trump, and I intend to support —support — the Republican nominee by finding those areas of agreement moving forward,” he said on “The Mike Daly Show.”

But he also said that if Trump or any candidate crosses a line, he would withdraw his support.

“Any individual that would be running for running for office, if they would say something that crosses a line, and in the end is so significant, so major that you couldn’t support them, I’d have to withdraw support from any individual, okay?” Johnson said. “Whether that’s somebody running for the assembly or county board or city council, or whatever. That’s true under any circumstance.”

Latest Livewire

Notable Replies

  1. “To me, support versus endorse are two totally different things,” Johnson said.

    I see what you’re doing here. Although they are not synonyms they sure ain’t antonyms neither!

  2. If only there were an obvious follow-up question that we could ask here.

  3. It’s much like the difference between screwing and fucking.

  4. I agree with him. Under the circumstances, you support if you’re a coward, and you endorse if you’re an idiot. Very distinctly different things.

  5. Well, yes, I like the candidate… I just don’t like like him.

    See? Totally different.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

97 more replies

Participants

Avatar for lestatdelc Avatar for austin_dave Avatar for closet_luddite Avatar for marnold Avatar for sooner Avatar for meri Avatar for mattinpa Avatar for deckbose Avatar for steviedee111 Avatar for squirreltown Avatar for teenlaqueefa Avatar for spacepenguin Avatar for jinx_tpm Avatar for kenstarr Avatar for mantan Avatar for sniffit Avatar for sickneffintired Avatar for daveyjones64 Avatar for stradivarius50t3 Avatar for dnl Avatar for emilianoelmexicano Avatar for omahhum Avatar for boulderdash Avatar for xp9dnxx

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: