Donald Trump took considerable heat when, during the first Republican
primary debate in August 2015, he initially declined to pledge support
for the party’s eventual presidential nominee.
But now that Trump is that nominee, his former primary foes are the ones who have split on honoring the pledge.
While several ex-rivals now are unabashedly Team
Trump – and others have reluctantly backed him as the better of the two
major-party candidates – a couple of GOP primary contenders still refuse
to endorse the nominee.
The holdouts are:
John Kasich
The Ohio governor is the most defiant anti-Trump politician who was at that initial debate.
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The governor has been at odds with Trump ever since
bowing out of the race, declining to show his support for the nominee
even when his state hosted the Republican National Convention and
Trump’s nomination acceptance address.
Fox News confirmed late Monday that Kasich did not vote for Trump, either.
The governor wrote in Arizona Sen. John McCain on his
absentee ballot. (According to The Plain Dealer, that vote technically
will not count, since McCain is not among the approved write-in
candidates in the state.)
Striking is that Kasich made the nominee pledge twice.
During the Fox News primary debate in Cleveland last
August, Trump was the only one to raise his hand when asked which
candidates would not pledge support for the eventual nominee. (Trump
later reversed course, for a time.) Then, at another Fox News-hosted
debate in March, Kasich joined Trump, Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz in
pledging to support the eventual nominee.
Kasich, though, has voiced deep concerns all along
about Trump’s rhetoric and readiness. Demonstrating how fluid those
pledges really were, Kasich, Trump and Cruz backed away from the same
vow at a March debate weeks later.
Jeb Bush
The former Florida governor went from front-runner to
also-ran in a matter of months after Trump stormed into the primary
race, frequently making Bush a subject of his debate-stage attacks. Bush
has not forgotten.
Bush, after dropping out, endorsed Cruz in March. He
later congratulated Trump on securing the nomination in May, but said he
will not vote for Trump or Hillary Clinton.
He wrote on Facebook:
“Donald Trump has not demonstrated that temperament or strength of
character. He has not displayed a respect for the Constitution. And, he
is not a consistent conservative. These are all reasons why I cannot
support his candidacy.”
The rest of the GOP primary field has come around,
some enthusiastically – others, with considerable prodding and months
after the race ended.
The supporters are:
Ted Cruz
Cruz stunned the GOP convention crowd by withholding
an endorsement of Trump during his Cleveland address. But while this
renewed weeks of feuding between the Texas senator and the billionaire
businessman, Cruz eventually announced – in September – he would vote
for Trump and urged others to do the same.
“Like many other voters, I have struggled to determine the right course of action in this general election,”
Cruz said on Facebook.
He said that after “many months of careful consideration, of prayer and
searching my own conscience, I have decided that on Election Day, I
will vote for the Republican nominee, Donald Trump.”
He also referenced the pledge, saying he wanted to
keep his word to support the Republican nominee – and he finds Clinton
“wholly unacceptable.”
Marco Rubio
The Florida senator now running for re-election has
taken the most nuanced stance on Trump. He is supporting the nominee,
but told
The Weekly Standard
in June he would continue to stand by his criticism of Trump from the
primary campaign. He later delivered a video message to the GOP
convention urging voters to elect Trump and reminding delegates that the
“time for fighting” is over.
He continues to stand by his
primary campaign criticism of Trump.
Scott Walker
The Wisconsin governor initially backed Cruz after
dropping out of the race himself. He later indicated he would be
supporting Trump and in July told Fox News he would in fact endorse
Trump, while acknowledging he wasn’t his “first choice.”
Rand Paul
The Kentucky senator, despite his libertarian leanings and tough criticism of Trump during the primary,
eventually told WDRB News
he’ll back the billionaire. He, too, cited his pledge – a written one,
not to run as a third-party candidate – in explaining his support.
Chris Christie
The New Jersey governor, while mired in controversy
at home, enthusiastically embraced Trump’s candidacy back in February
and campaigned for him. He had been considered for running mate, but the
job ultimately went to Indiana Gov. Mike Pence.
Ben Carson
The retired neurosurgeon endorsed Trump in March and continues to speak out on the nominee’s behalf.
Mike Huckabee
The former Arkansas governor announced he was “all
in” for Trump back in May, and has continued to be a strong supporter of
the now-nominee.