Trump says he won’t moderate his tone

Associated Press

WASHINGTON

A defiant Donald Trump made it clear he won’t change his brash tone or message as he courted anxious Republican lawmakers Thursday, blaming the media for stumbles that continue to alarm GOP leaders and energize Democrats with voting less than three months away.

The New York billionaire repeatedly called for unity in his second Capitol Hill tour in three months, but he also threatened would-be party critics on a day that was designed to rally anxious Republicans behind him. Deflecting questions about his discipline in public comments, Trump insisted his recent praise for former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was taken out of context and ignored fresh concern about a campaign tweet widely condemned as anti-Semitic, according to Republicans who attended closed-door meetings.

Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake declined to address reports that Trump threatened to attack him politically during a testy exchange that Sen. John McCain said “everybody was talking about” afterward.

“I’ll just leave it,” Flake told reporters. “My position remains – I want to support the nomination. I really do. I just can’t support him given the things that he’s said.”

Sen. Mark Kirk of Illinois, who wasn’t in Thursday’s meeting, fired back at Trump, who reportedly called him a loser during the private gathering.

“We haven’t seen a personality like his too much in the Midwest. Eastern, privileged, wealthy bully,” said Kirk, who faces a tough re-election contest and has declined to endorse Trump.

There was a more cooperative tone inside Trump’s meeting with House Republicans, even if skeptical lawmakers didn’t necessarily hear what they were hoping for.

“There was no talk of pivoting. There was no talk of changing his style or anything like that,” said Rep. Peter King of New York. “I think you have to expect that you’re going to get Donald Trump. But he showed today that he could be Donald Trump and still work with Republicans.”

Trump’s unwillingness to moderate his tone follows repeated promises from campaign officials that he would do just that as he shifts toward the general election. While Election Day nationwide is Nov. 8, early voting begins in some states in September.