If you’ll recall, last fall there was a big hullabaloo about Donald Trump signing a “GOP loyalty pledge,” promising to support the Republican candidate for president. Last night at a CNN Republican town hall in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, anchor Anderson Cooper revisited the issue and Trump declared he will no longer honor his promise:
Cooper: Before we go back to the audience, I want to ask you a question I asked to Senator Cruz as well. More than six months ago you pledged to support the Republican nominee, whoever that may be. A lot has changed since then. It sounded when I was pressing Senator Cruz on it, sounded like he was saying he’d have a hard time supporting somebody who went after his wife.
Trump: Honestly, he doesn’t have to support me. I’m not asking for his support. I want the people’s support.
Cooper: Do you continue to pledge whoever the Republican nominee is?
Trump: No. I don’t anymore. Look —
Cooper: You don’t?
Trump: No. We’ll see who it is.
Cruz for his part said, “I’m not in the habit of supporting someone who attacks my wife and attacks my family.” But when Cooper followed up asking directly if he would support Donald Trump if he is the GOP nominee, Cruz hedged a bit and responded, “Let me tell you my solution to that. Donald is not going to be the GOP nominee. We’re going to beat him.”
Kasich also did not outright say he would break his pledge:
“I’ve been disturbed by some of the things that I’ve seen and I have to think about what my word and endorsement would mean in a presidential campaign, so I want to see how this thing finishes out… I gotta see what happens, if the nominee is someone who I think is really hurting the country and dividing the country, I can’t stand behind them.”
When pressed by Cooper on whether it looks like Trump would harm the country, Kasich responded, “That’ll be up to the voters.”
Trump is the only candidate who has made it absolutely clear he will break his pledge to the Republican Party. What other promises will he break as we get closer and closer to November?
Watch the three remaining GOP presidential candidates’ answers below:
What do you think about Trump breaking his loyalty pledge? Should the other candidates stand by their pledges, too? Tell us in the comments section below!
