After a week of getting bashed by leaders of his party, Donald Trump signaled he has had enough, and said if Republicans keep criticizing him they could lose the Senate.
“I mean I’ve had more opposition from the Republican Party than I do from the Democrats,” the GOP presumptive front-runner said, according to a CNN report from a rally in Tampa on Saturday.
He said Republicans need to unite or they risk losing the Senate to Democrats.
“The Republican Party has to be tough and has to be smart,” he said. “And if they’re not tough and smart, I’m going to win, but a lot of other people won’t.”
Trump’s comments come after being criticized by Republican leaders for suggesting that federal Judge Gonzalo Curiel, because of his Mexican heritage, was treating Trump unfairly in a lawsuit over Trump University. Trump has not apologized for. House Speaker Paul Ryan earlier this week called the comments the “textbook definition of racism” but said that he continues to support Trump. Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., rescinded his endorsement of Trump earlier this week.
During the same rally, Trump asked the crowd to call out who should be his vice presidential pick.
Trump later said he heard the names of staunch allies former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., who was the first senator to endorse Trump.
Condoleezza Rice, who served as secretary of state for President George W. Bush, was also mentioned by Trump.
