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U.S. Sen. Rob Portman refuses to say if he’ll back Donald Trump should he be the Republican presidential nominee
YOUNGSTOWN
While criticizing Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump for his “failure” to “condemn” support from a former Ku Klux Klan grand wizard, U.S. Sen. Rob Portman refused to say whether he would back Trump if he’s the party’s nominee.
During a Tuesday call with Ohio reporters, Portman, a Republican, was asked nine times if he’d back Trump if he gets the party’s nomination.
Several times Portman said he’s “strongly supporting” Ohio Gov. John Kasich for president and that Kasich “still has a path” to the party’s nomination.
When asked directly by a Vindicator reporter about why he’s said he’d support Trump in the past and wasn’t giving a direct answer, Portman said: “I support the Republican nominee unless something crazy happens.”
The follow-up question about if “something crazy” with Trump hasn’t already happened wasn’t addressed by Portman.
Asked again about backing Trump, Portman said, “We’ll see, won’t we? We’ll see.”
Ohio Democrats quickly criticized Portman after reading the senator’s statements tweeted by a Vindicator reporter.
“More and more Republicans across Ohio are showing some dignity and common sense by refusing to support Trump, yet Portman has proved he’s completely incapable of dropping his blind allegiance to the Republican frontrunner,” said Daniel van Hoogstraten, an Ohio Democratic Party spokesman.
Portman repeatedly said Kasich could win the election by winning Ohio and performing well in Michigan. Polls show a close race in Ohio between Kasich and Trump. Trump has a comfortable lead in Michigan polls with the most recent ones having Kasich in fourth out of five Republican presidential candidates.
Trump campaigned Tuesday in Columbus ahead of the state’s March 15 primary. The Michigan primary is next Tuesday.
Trump received strong criticism for not distancing himself quickly from an endorsement he received from David Duke, a former KKK grand wizard.
Portman, who is seeking re-election this year, said Tuesday that Trump was “wrong” to not “condemn these kind of hate groups.”
Two Ohio Republicans, state Auditor Dave Yost and Franklin County Auditor Clarence Mingo, said Tuesday on a separate call with reporters they won’t support Trump if he becomes the party’s presidential nominee. On that call, Ohio Republican Chairman Matt Borges said it would be “very difficult” to organize Republicans in Ohio if Trump is the party’s nominee, and that he’s growing increasingly concerned about that happening.