By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
Thursday, May 5, U.S. Representative Bradley Byrne (R-Montrose) and Alabama Republican Party Chairman Terry Lathan both released statements urging Republicans to unify.
Congressman Byrne said, “The primary process has been long and challenging, but the American people have spoken loud and clear. The time has come for the Republican Party to unite to defeat Hillary Clinton, and I will be voting for Donald Trump in November.”
Alabama Republican Party Chairman Terry Lathan said in a letter to ALGOP supporters, “I would like to begin by acknowledging and thanking all the Republican candidates who ran for the presidency this primary cycle. I want to specifically recognize Senator Ted Cruz and Governor John Kasich for their outstanding commitment to the Party’s cause throughout their campaigns.” “Tuesday’s decisive victory in Indiana’s GOP Primary, made it clear that business leader Mr. Donald J. Trump will be the presumptive Republican Presidential Nominee. Mr. Trump’s current delegate count stands at 1,047, placing him well within the finish line of winning the 1,237 delegates needed for our Party’s nomination.”
Lathan continued, “Donald Trump is no stranger to Alabama. Shortly after announcing his candidacy last summer, one of Mr. Trump’s earliest campaign stops was in August 2015 to Mobile. The rally drew an estimated 30,000 people to Ladd-Peebles Stadium after relocating from the civic center to accommodate the crowd! He again visited the Birmingham area in November 2015, where over 2,000 supporters gathered in the BJCC Arena. The third visit by the Trump campaign was in Madison this past February. The rally drew an estimated crowd of 10,000 people to the Madison City Stadium. In our state’s March 1 GOP Primary Election, Alabama voters selected Donald Trump as their presidential preference which earned him 43% of the total vote.”
Rep. Byrne said, “With everything going on in the world today, these times require a strong leader who understands the need for a powerful military and who will stand up for our veterans. We cannot tolerate four more years of bloated, expensive, liberal policies that make life harder for American families.”
Chairman Lathan concluded, “Our focus must now be unifying our Party to take back the White House. To quote RNC Chairman Reince Priebus, “Unity makes the impossible possible.” Our unity will be seen worldwide this summer in Cleveland at our National Convention, but more importantly on November 8, 2016 as we defeat Hillary Clinton.”
Many high profile Republicans are still cool to Trump.
Speaker of the US House of Representative Paul Ryan (R from Wisconsin) told CNN’s Jake Tapper, “I’m just not ready to do that at this point. I’m not there right now,” when asked if he could support Donald Trump.
Ryan told Tapper that he wants Trump to unify “all wings of the Republican Party and the conservative movement” and then run a campaign that will allow Americans to “have something that they’re proud to support and proud to be a part of.”
Also on Thursday, 2012 Republican nominee Mitt Romney, and former Presidents George H. Bush, and George W. Bush all announced that they would not be attending the Republican convention in Cleveland. Trump has announced that he is going to start fundraising for the general election run against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (who is expected at this point to be the Democratic nominee). It is a question mark as to whether or not those big GOP donors that have been so supportive of Romney and the Bush family will give the same kind of support to Donald Trump, who has campaigned against the Washington establishment or will they stand aside and run their own candidate, perhaps Speaker Paul Ryan, in 2020 when a then 73 year old Hillary Clinton runs for reelection.
