Republican leadership has to "get tougher" and help him win the presidency, Donald Trump told rallygoers in Atlanta on Wednesday.
"You know, the Republicans, honestly, folks, our leaders — our leaders have to get tougher,"
Politico reported Trump as saying. "This is too tough to do it alone. But you know what? I think I'm gonna be forced to. I think I'm going to be forced to."
Republicans have been increasingly reluctant to defend some of Trump's more controversial statements. House Speaker Paul Ryan, who had just endorsed Trump, last week said his remarks against the Hispanic judge presiding over his Trump University civil lawsuit were the "textbook definition of racist."
Other Republicans have rescinded their endorsements — or outright refused to endorse Trump in the first place and called for a third-party alternative.
"Our leaders have to get a lot tougher, and be quiet. Just please be quiet," Trump said. "Don't talk. Please, be quiet. Just be quiet, to the leaders, because they have to get tougher, they have to get sharper, they have to get smarter, and we have to have our Republicans either stick together or let me just do it by myself."
Trump said many people think he should run without the party's help anyway.
"You know, the endorsement thing, I've gotten — by the way, I've gotten tremendous endorsements, but if I don't get them that's OK," the presumptive nominee continued. "We're gonna run. We're gonna win. And here;s what we're going to do when we win: We're gonna make our country so great again."
Related Stories:
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.