As the Republican National Committee circulates a loyalty pledge to 2016 GOPers aimed at reining in any potential independent run by Donald Trump, RNC Chairman Reince Priebus will meet with Trump Thursday, a spokesman confirmed to the New York Times.
The GOP frontrunner’s official schedule includes a press conference from his Trump Tower in New York at 2 p.m. Sources tell CNN that they believe Trump is willing to sign the pledge — which stipulates GOP 2016 primary candidates will not run for president as an independent and will support the eventual Republican nominee — but caution that nothing is guaranteed with the brash billionaire. A source described as a “close associate” tells Politico Trump will indeed sign the pledge. Bloomberg also reports that a “top adviser” said Trump will sign.
However Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski told Politico in a phone interview, “I don’t think you can ‘expect’ ANYTHING from Mr. Trump.”
Fears that Trump would mount an independent or third party run have been bubbling in Republican circles since Trump joined the GOP primary field. At the Fox News debate last month, Trump refused to rule out a third party run.
A copy of the pledge provided to Politico by one of the other campaigns reads as follows:
“I [name] affirm that if I do not win the 2016 Republican nomination for president of the United States I will endorse the 2016 Republican presidential nominee regardless of who it is. I further pledge that I will not seek to run as an independent or write-in candidate nor will I seek or accept the nomination for president of any other party.”
This story has been updated.
