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Haslam congratulates Trump; doesn’t expect negative repercussions despite lack of endorsement

Gov. Bill Haslam speaks to reporters in Nashville, Tenn., on Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2016, about the presidential election results. (AP Photo/Erik Schelzig)
Gov. Bill Haslam speaks to reporters in Nashville, Tenn., on Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2016, about the presidential election results. (AP Photo/Erik Schelzig) Gov. Bill Haslam speaks to reporters in Nashville, Tenn., on Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2016, about the presidential election results. (AP Photo/Erik Schelzig)

By Andy Sher 5 min read

photo President-elect Donald Trump waves to the crowd during a campaign stop in Jacksonville, Fla.

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NASHVILLE – As Tennessee Republicans offered congratulations to President-elect Donald Trump on his Tuesday victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton, the state’s top GOP official, Gov. Bill Haslam, who publicly announced he wouldn’t and didn’t vote for the GOP nominee, said “we look forward to working” with his administration.

Haslam told reporters Wednesday that he didn’t believe there would be any negative repercussions over his stance, which he announced after a 2005 Access Hollywood videotape surfaced in which Trump bragged of groping women.

“I don’t think so,” said Haslam, who also has expressed concerns over some of Trump’s positions such as trade. “I was very encouraged by his [conciliatory] tone last night, and anybody who saw that would say that that was the exact right tone for him to hit.”

Moreover, Haslam added, Trump’s running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, “is a good, close friend of mine. Mike and I talk frequently, when we were governors we worked on a lot of issues together, and I actually think our relationship with Mike _ excuse me, Vice President-elect Pence, will be a real benefit to the state as well.”

Haslam drew fire from rank-and-file Tennessee Republicans during the campaign for his stance in which he also called on Trump to step aside and allow Pence to become the nominee.