Presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump said he’s not ready to accept House Speaker Paul D. Ryan’s agenda, firing back at the country’s top elected Republican Thursday, just hours after Mr. Ryan said he’s not ready to support Mr. Trump.
“I am not ready to support Speaker Ryan’s agenda,” Mr. Trump said in a statement. “Perhaps in the future we can work together and come to an agreement about what is best for the American people. They have been treated so badly for so long that it is about time for politicians to put them first!”
The two men have been at odds during the campaign season, with Mr. Ryan occasionally stepping in to scold Mr. Trump over his campaign comments or strategy.
On Thursday, Mr. Ryan renewed the feud, telling CNN he’s not ready to get behind Mr. Trump, and needs the billionaire businessman to prove he’s committed to the GOP philosophy of limited government. Mr. Ryan also said Mr. Trump needs to cut the “bullying” out of his campaign persona.
Mr. Ryan has had his House Republicans working for months on an agenda they can take to voters this fall — a document that could conflict with, and will certainly be different from, the platform the GOP adopts at its convention in July.
Mr. Trump’s comments signal that not only could the party not be unified behind him as the nominee, but it could also be riven by differing agendas, leaving voters even more confused about the GOP in November.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
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