The Wall Street Journal says it would be a mistake for House Speaker Paul Ryan to withdraw his support for Donald Trump, even amid the growing number conservative calls for Ryan to rethink his endorsement.
The paper’s conservative editorial board said Tuesday night that Ryan should criticize Trump for his recent controversial comments about a federal district judge’s Mexican heritage, but said abandoning the GOP nominee would only help Democrats.
“It isn’t clear what Mr. Ryan’s critics want him to do in any event,” said the Journal, which has been highly critical of Trump. “Do they really expect a House speaker to deny support to the GOP nominee, making the Trump-Ryan division a running story through November? There’s nothing like a bloody Republican civil war to dampen turnout and produce an election rout for the other side.”
Many conservative pundits and writers have called on GOP leaders to distance themselves from Trump and recant any endorsements of the businessman after he accused California-based judge Gonzalo Curiel, who is overseeing a fraud lawsuit against him, of harboring biases due to being “a Mexican.” Curiel was born in Indiana.
Ryan said Tuesday that Trump’s comments were the “textbook definition of a racist comment,” but he has not said he would withdraw his endorsement.
“Mr. Ryan’s endorsement,” the Journal said, “doesn’t include a vow of silence. … He and Republicans in Congress can score their nominee’s excesses while still believing he is superior to Mrs. Clinton.”
