The Republican National Committee is dismissing the idea that presumptive Libertarian presidential nominee Gary Johnson’s third-party candidacy could cut into Donald Trump’s chances of winning the White House in the fall election.
RNC spokesman Sean Spicer said on CNN that Mr. Johnson, who announced over the weekend that former Massachusetts Gov. William Weld would be his running mate, appears to lack the the campaign or organization needed to have a big influence on the election, and that he has “zero” concern about his candidacy.
“I think the media frankly wants a third party. They want a fight,” Mr. Spicer said. “They are not going to get it.”
Mr. Spicer said there are clear signs that the GOP is consolidating behind Mr. Trump and said Democrats should be concerned that Hillary Clinton has struggled to woo supporters of Bernard Sanders, pointing to a recent poll that showed some of the Vermont senator’s backers are planning to back Mr. Trump in the general election.
“So I appreciate the intrigue about the Republican party, [but] I think the Democrats have a much, much, more substantial problem that is really bearing out in the polls,” he said.
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
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