WASHINGTON (AP) – Donald Trump is winning over his Capitol Hill critics after a one-day charm offensive that demonstrates the power of his personality to drive his White House bid. Yet he’s still not ruling out going “my separate way” if House Speaker Paul Ryan doesn’t endorse him.
Trump’s closed-door charisma on Thursday brought a fresh wave of GOP optimism across Washington, even as deep concerns remain about the notoriously unpredictable New York billionaire’s evolving policy prescriptions and brash tone heading into the general election.
Trump said Friday he was “a little bit surprised” Ryan didn’t endorse him after their “great” meeting. “I think it’s a process,” he told NBC’s “Today” show. “I think that will come and if that doesn’t come, I’ll go my separate way and win the election.” Asked if he was disappointed, he said “no.”
For a day at least, Trump silenced his own party’s skeptics with a series of private meetings with leading congressional Republicans on their turf. Afterward, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee praised the very establishment he has spent months bashing at his raucous rallies.
The day marked a step forward for political leaders desperate to unify a fractured Republican Party. GOP leaders in the House and Senate offered an overwhelmingly positive response that focused largely on Trump’s charm behind closed doors, while acknowledging that differences remain.