Donald Trump and Paul Ryan had a “good conversation” by phone Wednesday night, but the House speaker didn’t offer an endorsement for his party’s presumptive nominee.
Sources familiar with the call, who spoke on condition of anonymity because it was private, called it a “good conversation” but offered few details other than saying Ryan did not endorse Trump.
Ryan declined to discuss the details of the call when asked about it Thursday, but emphasized the same point he made earlier this month: he wants a unified Republican Party.
“What I’m most concerned about is making sure that we actually have real party unity, not pretend party unity. Real party unity, because we need to win this election in the fall, there’s just too much at stake – the Supreme Court, on and on and on I could go. The point is I want real party unity and that’s what I’m most concerned about,” Ryan said.
The call continues the dance between Trump, who has worked for weeks to win over skeptical Republican leaders, and Ryan, who stunned many when he told CNN earlier this month he was not yet ready to endorse the presumptive nominee.
Trump isn’t always taking steps to help his party’s unity. On Thursday evening he posted a video on Instagram that highlighted politicians who said he would never be the Republican party’s nominee. Among such detractors was Sen. Ted Cruz, his Republican primary opponent.
Reports surfaced earlier this week that Ryan would endorse Trump this week, but Ryan beat that back himself in a meeting with reporters Wednesday.
“I don’t know where all this is coming from,” Ryan said at a briefing about the House GOP’s election-year agenda. “I haven’t made a decision … and nothing’s changed my perspective. We’re still having productive conversations.”
