House Speaker Paul Ryan thinks the chances are growing that the GOP nominee will be decided at what's known as a contested, or open, convention this summer.
Talking about the "reality" that no candidate may reach the mandated 1,237 delegates to win the nod in Cleveland this July, Ryan said as convention chairman he'll have to "bone up on all the rules,"
Fox News reports.
"My goal is to be dispassionate, and to be Switzerland," Ryan said,
Bloomberg reports. "And to make sure that the delegates make their decision however the rules require them to do that."
He acknowledges, however, that the likelihood of a contested convention is increasing.
"Nothing has changed other than the perception that this is more likely to become an open convention than we thought before," the Wisconsin lawmaker told reporters,
The Hill reports.
"So, we're getting our minds around the idea that this could very well become a reality, and therefore those of us who are involved in the convention need to respect that."
Curly Haugland of North Dakota, a long-time member of the Republican National Committee standing rules committee, tells Bloomberg he believes convention rules already are in place that declare getting "nearly enough" delegates won't do.
"Close only counts in grenades and horseshoes" and not the Republican nominating convention, he tells the outlet, adding that no one would be "stealing" anything from GOP front-runner Donald Trump under the letter of the current rules.
On Thursday, Ryan sternly rejected Trump's ominous
warning of riots if he doesn't win the GOP presidential nod despite a delegate lead.
"Nobody should say such things," Ryan told reporters. "To even address or hint to violence is unacceptable."
And he firmly quashed suggestions — including by
former House Speaker John Boehner — that he himself might be nominated if voting in Cleveland goes to multiple ballots.
"It is not me," Ryan said, The Hill reports. "I saw Boehner last night and I told him to knock it off. I used slightly different words.... It's not going to be me. It should be someone running for president.... Let's just put this thing to rest and move on."
Reuters contributed to this report.
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