Trump Officially Endorses House Speaker Paul Ryan
GREEN BAY, Wis. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Donald Trump endorsed House Speaker Paul Ryan in Wisconsin Friday evening, ending a four-day standoff between the GOP's most powerful men.
Trump made the announcement during a campaign stop Friday in Green Bay.
He says, ``I support and endorse our Speaker of the House Paul Ryan,'' adding that while they ``may disagree on a couple of things,'' they agree on a lot as well.
Trump also threw his support behind Arizona Sen. John McCain and New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte, with whom he has sparred.
Trump says, ``We have to unite.''
He said that, as president, he will need a Republican Senate and House to accomplish all of the changes he wants to make.
He added that, ``This campaign is not about me or any one candidate,'' and says: ``We will have disagreements. But we will disagree as friends and never stop working together toward victory.''
The timing was unusual. The rally was held on a Friday night opposite the opening ceremonies of the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
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Earlier this week, Trump said he was "not quite there yet" when it came to endorsing Ryan.
"I like Paul, but these are horrible times for our country," Trump told The Washington Post. "We need very strong leadership. We need very, very strong leadership. And I'm just not quite there yet. I'm not quite there yet."
Trump also praised Ryan's opponent, Paul Nehlen, for running ``a very good campaign.''
Speaking in an interview on CBS This Morning on Thursday, Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort said there was "no issue" about Trump's current position on Ryan.
"He's going to support Paul Ryan," Manafort said. "I mean, he does support Paul Ryan. He said he's going to work with Paul Ryan."
Meanwhile, Ryan reaffirmed his support for Donald Trump Thursday while speaking on the "Jerry Bader Show" in Wisconsin.
Ryan brushed off Trump's stance saying that the only endorsement he cares about is from voters in his congressional district," Ryan said. "That's what my focus is."
"The only endorsement that I want are those of my own employers here in the first congressional district," Ryan said Thursday.
Nehlen said Friday that Trump's decision ``is appropriate and is a display of true leadership.''
(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
