It is time for top Republicans to quit "pussyfooting around" when it comes to whether they will support Donald Trump, his campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway said Wednesday, denouncing them as being "very wishy-washy."
“We want the support of anybody who’s going to publicly endorse us," Conway told ABC "Good Morning America" host George Stephanopoulos. "But enough of the pussyfooting around in terms of, you know, do you support us or do you not support us."
Numerous Republican politicians have backed away from Trump after a videotape from 2005 surfaced last week, just days before the second presidential nomination, in which the GOP nominee could be heard making explicit comments about women.
Some Republicans, like Arizona Sen. John McCain, have completely pulled their support from Trump. House Speaker Paul Ryan, meanwhile, came under fire from Trump for refusing to campaign with him or defend him, even though Ryan has not pulled his endorsement away.
Ryan told House Republicans on Monday they should handle Trump in whatever way will most benefit their own down-party races, leading Trump to launch a Twitter rampage, calling Ryan a "weak and ineffective leader."
Trump also Tuesday told Fox News' Bill O'Reilly he knows, if he's elected, Ryan will still be in the House, but "maybe he'll be in a different position.
Conway told Stephanopoulos on Wednesday that Ryan's future as speaker will be "up to the members of the Congress," while insisting Trump has been "playing very nicely with members of the party."
The campaign manager, also appearing on Fox News' "Fox and Friends," said on that program Trump's announcement his "shackles" are off means he is feeling "unencumbered now" that he is the presidential nominee.
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"Past presidential nominees have been able to rely upon much more support within the rank-and-file members, elected members, than he is," Conway said. "But I will say that we have a great relationship with the RNC [Republican National Committee]."
She said she talks with RNC Chairman Reince Priebus several times a day, and he and his top lieutenants are often present to help with the campaign.
"That's been great because what we need as a presidential nominee is the field operation, the data, certainly the ground game," Conway said. "The RNC came bearing gifts this year. They've been working at this for many, many years. So, when Donald Trump goes and raises money, like he did $5 million or so strong yesterday in Texas, that money goes, a lot of that money goes back to the party, and it helps these down-ballot candidates, some of whom aren't supporting him."
But even though the party is divided over Trump, Conway said that means it has "growing pains because it is an expansive party that represents different viewpoints."
The party was coming close to being the "party of the elites," she continued, but Trump is "giving voice of the workers."
Meanwhile, Conway said she does not know if there are further damaging tapes that have not yet been released about the nominee.
"I only know what I read," she said. "We'll deal with them as they come."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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