Today, Donald Trump took a major step toward dispelling fears that his dedication to the GOP may be fleeting.
After a meeting with RNC Chairman Reince Priebus, Trump held a public press conference and signed a loyalty pledge to the party. Under the pledge, he promised to support the Republican party’s eventual nominee, and not run as a third party candidate.
Watch:
From CNN:
“The best way for the Republicans to win is if I win the nomination and go directly against whoever they happen to put up. And for that reason, I have signed the pledge,” Trump said, holding up the paper. “So I will be totally pledging my allegiance to the Republican Party and for the conservative principles for which it stands.”
He added: “We will go out and fight hard, and we will win.”
…
Trump explained Thursday that he came to the decision to sign the pledge because the Republican Party in recent months has been “extremely fair” to him.
“The RNC has been absolutely terrific over the last two month period and as you know, that’s what I’ve wanted,” Trump said. “I don’t want to be treated any differently.”
Asked what he got in return for signing the paper, Trump responded: “assurance that I will be treated fairly.”
But what’s this? Could it be that the first pledge was…procedurally invalid?
Dear @realDonaldTrump, it's September, not August. pic.twitter.com/R3Jw72Wobt
— Benny (@bennyjohnson) September 3, 2015
Nah—but he did sign a fresh one with the correct date:
All joking aside, Trump played this one well. His press conference, which took place on his home turf at Trump Tower, looked more like a rally than a roundup. He has fielded some criticism—as has the RNC at large for the existence of a loyalty pledge—but by signing on to the GOP ticket while surrounded by his enthusiastic fan base, Trump ensured that he would be the one controlling the narrative coming out of the announcement.
Other GOP candidates like Jeb Bush and Rand Paul have committed to supporting the nominee, but their loyalty was expected, while Trump’s has been called into question before—and may still be.
For now, it doesn’t look like those loyal to the GOP are willing to let it go:
.@realDonaldTrump pic.twitter.com/RbagyBXspr
— Jeb Bush (@JebBush) September 3, 2015
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Comments
The media fascination with Trump has drowned out the fact that Pataki also signed the pledge. There is a search on for Gilmore, rumored to be a hold-out.
This looks bad for the Republican party managers. As for Trump, he is leading the field.
No one thought he’d do this well. He’s beating the living snot out of all the field. It’s early yet but ¡Jeb! keeps making unforced errors.
And I for one do not want any political dynasties Bush or Clinton. We might as well have proclaimed Washington George the First if we’re going that route.
There are at least 15 candidates not named Bush OR Trump, several with impressive credentials as Governors, a business executive, a brain surgeon, and three of the most notable first-term Senators. All we are missing is a rocket scientist and an Indian chief.
The Trumpeteers’ main tactic seems to be to flap their arms, shout JEB!, and run away. They’re not especially deep thinkers.
Yabut doncha know all those OTHER candidates are part of teh deep dark eGOP conspiracy to rob T-rump of the nomination and install Jeb! You can read all about it at “Conservative” Tree Sloughs…
What, Jindal doesn’t count? 🙂 And I hear tell Carson’s brother is a rocket scientist. Maybe they can run together (if they live in different states).
Let’s see… do I feel sorry for them??? ponder… ponder…
It’s hard to believe that Donald Trump is an amateur at politics.
And every time he speaks he says something that doesn’t true.
35% in some polls? 40%??
Where?
Checking, there was one 35% poll in New Hampsire a week ago.
http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/main/2015/08/ppps-new-new-hampshire-poll-finds-donald-trump-in-the-strongest-position-of-any-poll-weve-done-anywhere-since-he-entered-the.html
It also showed 11% for John Kasich, (who has been advertising or campaigning in New Hampshire) 10% for Carly Fiorina, 7% each for Jeb Bush and Scott Walker, 6% for Ben Carson, 4% each for Chris Christie, Ted Cruz, and Marco Rubio, and 3% for Rand Paul. That’s the top ten. Also Rick Perry at 2%, Lindsey Graham, George Pataki, and Rick Santorum at 1%, and Jim Gilmore, Mike Huckabee, and Bobby Jindal at less than 1% but at least 1 individual polled.
I think the 35% may be caused by people wanting to vote in the Democratic primary in New Hampshire.
Before they are asked or reminded of the candidates people are asked what party they identify with or in what primary they might vote.
Jeb Bush is another “big government has all the solutions” type of Republican. If he were to be POTUS for eight years the National Debt would be twice, the Dept. of Ed would have free reign, the EPA would double in size, and etc.
No change, deeper in debt, further along down toward the vortex of ruin.
Does Trump still believe that a legitimate use of eminent domain is take someone’s house and give it to a billionaire because Mr Billionaire would use that property “better”? Why does Trump ignore the Regulatory State or the Tax Code when he talks about companies going overseas? I am afraid that both the Establishment candidate and the Populist candidate are Big Government types.
Are you a liar or just stupid? Bush’s record in Florida was one of the best conservative records in any state in the last 60 years.
Didn’t you get the Professor’s admonition?
No more ‘liar’ and ‘stupid’ insults.
‘Mistaken’ and ‘confused’ are appropriately debonair.
So what, Lindsey Graham and Rick Perry are going to support Trump if Trump is the nominee?
Somehow, I’m thinking no.
I think the term is “endorse”, not support.
Vacca Sancta, what did they write those signatures with? Not even a Sharpie leaves a trail like that.
Best guess some fountain pen with abroad oblique nib. Somehow I can’t see Trump using a Montcrap/Pigeon poop. Possibly a Pelican but it’s hard to tell from just the stroke.
BTW if it is a fountain pen and he doesn’t use Noodler’s ink, then the signature can wash away. So the GOPe better be careful.
If Trump believes what he says about illegal immigration, common cause etc., how in the world could he have pledged to endorse Jeb or Kasich if the occasion arises? The RINOs are the major part of the problem, and I believe a lot of Trump supporters will feel let down by this ridiculous pledge. I certainly do not join in that pledge.
“common core”, sorry
“communist core”
“If Trump believes what he says about illegal immigration, common cause etc., how in the world could he have pledged to endorse Jeb or Kasich if the occasion arises?”
Because the occasion won’t arise. It’s an act of confidence, not concession. It’s also not legally binding. He can break it or ignore it and there’s no reason why he shouldn’t, as the GOP has broken every loyalty pledge made to its voters since Ronald Reagan.
RE: “It’s an act of confidence” – that’s what I took it for.
His signing doesn’t bother me a bit. No promise to known liars and frauds has any validity. If [and when] they game the system to install ¡Jéb! as the nominee, despite his not getting the most delegate votes, all bets are off. The Republican Party practices Taqqiyya against us conservative infidels, they are fair game to have it practiced against them.
I pledge that I will not vote for Trump. He’s fired already.
Wow Jennifer, we would have never guessed.
Would you vote for Bush?
Reince Priebus
Oh, and what kind of signature is that of
rinse reese prius peebus, you know the dumbest leader of a major party ever?My signature ain’t so hot, but a curved line?
Jeb! has extremely weak handwriting – not unlike his posture. And his signature is equally unimpressive.
Trump’s signature proclaims he’s a force to be reckoned with – like him, or not.
And poor Reince . . .
Heh, my signature is an infinity symbol. I started it as a teenager and never gave up doing it. It definitely annoys some people, especially my lawyer.
This is all so sad. I can’t support a first term Senator for president, even one as awesome as Cruz, because I want him to spend some time in office proving himself. Then along comes this guy who has never held any elected office and the morons eat it up. Sigh. The stupid party indeed.
With the economic and financial problems the country faces, with businesses and the employee pool suffering, I would rather have someone who has been in business, knows business, and run businesses (Trump) than a seasoned politician whose policies are indistinguishable from a Democrat (Bush).
Maybe the news hasn’t got to Zurich yet, but Bush and Trump are not the only two GOP candidates in the race. If you don’t like Trump because he’s a high-taxing big government progressive in the autocratic-oligarch vein; and you don’t like Bush because he’s a pro-amnesty big government progressive in the RINO-Squish vein, you could actually vote for one of the dozen-plus other candidates, whose ranks contain some actual conservatives.
T-rump is a demonstrated economic boob. He’ll COST the middle-class jobs, hurt capital formation, and use BIG GOVERNMENT because that’s who he is and always has been.
He’s a “businessman” who has bought and sold crony favors all his live entire, and STILL managed to drive the equivalent of owning a mint into the ground…on more than one occasion.
He doesn’t understand or respect market economics…
“I would say very simply, ‘Fellas, sorry, you gotta move back.’”
“I’ll call them up and say, ‘Gotta go. I don’t want you in Mexico.’”
“I would say to the head of Ford, ‘Sorry, I’m not gonna approve. You’re gonna pay a tax, for every car and every truck and every part that comes across that southern border, you’re gonna pay a 35% tax, OK?’ That’s what’s gonna happen.”
Let’t just hope that kind of thinking doesn’t catch on with Germany (Mercedes, BMW, etc.) or Japan (Toyota, Honda, etc.). We’d lose a LOT of American jobs!
“… and the morons eat it up.”
Some of us “morons” think you are the moron given the people in office currently. Most of those (95%+) in office have already proven they are worthless.
There’s jeb! for people like you. A proven, in office, loser.
“Squawk squawk squawk JEB!”
Is that really all you guys have got?
Even I don’t believe you’re so stupid that you don’t get that there are more than two people running for the GOP nomination.
” “Squawk squawk squawk JEB!” ”
Poor Amy, her guys losing.
So when the Donald wins the nomination all those guys and gal are going to have to campaign with/for him…that is going to be rich.
They won’t. We’ve seen the Republicans turn on people who have won the nomination fair and square if they are not the one chosen by the GOPe. Over and over again. It is their standard tactic. EVERYBODY signing those loyalty pledges is lying, and EVERYBODY knows that EVERYBODY is lying.
There are reports that the escaped Mexican drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán has offered a $100 million bounty for the life of Trump. I would not be surprised if the GOP tried to either collect, or to add to the bounty.
There is no reason to trust the GOPe.
“There are reports that the escaped Mexican drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán has offered a $100 million bounty for the life of Trump. I would not be surprised if the GOP tried to either collect, or to add to the bounty.”
This is where you all start sounding exactly like the paranoid Obamamaniacs in the run-up to 2008, complete with romantic assassination fantasies and all.
Remember how sure the Obama worshippers were that their Boy King, the Lightbringer, the One, was going to be taken out by The Powers That Be because they could not afford to let the One True Savior ascend the throne? And how most of us scoffed at their grandiose persecution complex?
Don’t go there. Don’t be those guys. Please.
Jeeebus, guys READ! The word is “endorse”. Not “campaign for”, not “support”.
Sometimes I despair…
“Sometimes I despair…”
Oh come now, despair? Rags?
Ragspierre in despair. Nice rhyme.