Republican frontrunner Donald Trump, Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) backed away from honoring the loyalty oath to support the eventual Republican nominee on Tuesday night.
CNN’s Anderson Cooper asked Trump during a town hall if he plans to continue to support the GOP nominee if it isn’t himself.
Trump replied, “No, I don’t anymore.”
Trump specifically addressed Cruz, saying he doesn’t “want” or “need” Cruz’s support.
A party loyalty pledge was first floated during the first Republican debate hosted by Fox News in August 2015, according to CNN.
Cruz hedged a bit, saying he would beat Trump for the nomination.
He wouldn’t outright deny his support for the nominee.
“I’m not in the habit of supporting someone who attacks my wife and my family,” Cruz said. “I think nominating Donald Trump would be an absolute trainwreck, I think it would hand the general election to Hillary Clinton.”
Kasich said the candidates shouldn’t have signed the pledge.
“All of us shouldn’t even have answered that question,” he said told CNN.
Kasich said he’ll wait to “see what happens.”
“I have got to see what happens,” he said. “If the nominee is somebody I think is really hurting the country and dividing the country, I can’t stand behind them.”
I think they should all run separately in the general. You know, give the Republican base a real choice this year.
Which, I suppose, is his way of saying that he couldn’t support either Trump or Cruz.
Picture an NFL team. They start the summer with three quarterbacks on the roster. A competition in preseason results in one being named the starter. The other two quarterbacks make it known to the rest of the team the starter doesn’t have their support, can’t depend on them for help, and they publicly announce they think he’ll be the cause of losing games. Everyone would agree what you have is one really effed up football team.
“Trump would be an absolute trainwreck, I think it would hand the general election to Hillary Clinton.”
Ahh, okay.
That’s why their field is so fucking weak. They thought they were smarter than Obama and they think they’re smarter than Hillary, and Bernie.
The general debates are going to be a hoot.
Even worse if it was the offensive linemen.