John Boehner thinks Donald Trump can win in November
Former House Speaker John Boehner is supporting Donald Trump, although he disagrees with Trump on issues like foreign policy, Trump's temporary Muslim entry ban proposal, and tearing up trade deals, among other things.
In Las Vegas at a financial industry conference, Boehner said the billionaire businessman is the presumptive Republican nominee for president, "whether people like it or not."
And he is confident that Trump can beat likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.
"Anyone who thinks Donald Trump can't win, just watch," Boehner said at the SALT Conference.
Among those dubious of Trump's chances in November is Obama's former deputy chief of staff and 2012 campaign manager, Jim Messina, who was also on stage at the SALT Conference.
"For a year, I prayed, 'Please God, let Donald Trump win the nomination. Turns out Jesus loves the sh*t out of me," Messina said at the same conference -- noted by CNN's Phil Mattingly in this tweet.
Boehner's appearance at the conference coincided with the end of House Speaker Paul Ryan's much ballyhooed meeting with Trump in Washington. Ryan said he was "very encouraged" by the meeting but declined to endorse Trump. Boehner said he thinks Ryan is probably "trying to help shape the direction of Trump's policies," but ultimately, he doesn't doubt "there will be a meeting of the minds."
And the former House speaker has no regrets about calling former presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz "Lucifer in the flesh" recently, telling the conference, "Thank God that guy from Texas didn't win." He then apparently quipped, "I got criticized by some satanic organization for giving Lucifer a bad name."
John Boehner on calling Ted Cruz 'Lucifer': 'I got criticized by some satantic organization for giving Lucifer a bad name.' #SALT2016
— Matt Egan (@MattMEgan5) May 12, 2016