GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) – In an effort to repair some of the damage he had inflicted on his presidential campaign, Donald Trump endorsed House Speaker Paul Ryan to end a four-day standoff that exposed the deeps chasms in the Republican Party over his candidacy.
Trump struck a rare conciliatory tone at a Wisconsin rally on Friday, imploring his party to unite behind him and opening a full-throttle attack on Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.
“Arm in arm, we will rescue the country from the Obama-Clinton disaster,” Trump told supporters after formally declaring his support for Ryan in next week’s congressional primary.
“We will have disagreements,” Trump said just days after refusing to endorse the Wisconsin Republican. “But we will disagree as friends and never stop working together toward victory.”
It was an unusual gesture for Trump, who is known for his refusal to admit mistakes and his tendency to double down when he’s under attack. Trump’s general election campaign has been defined by his constant attacks on fellow Republicans – a habit that has baffled party leaders, who have begged him to stay focused on his Democratic rival.