Is the floodwall breaking, or have the last couple of weeks shown just how solidly it holds?
The last fortnight has been bad for Donald Trump. First, there was the slow trainwreck of his attack on Judge Gonzalo Curiel, who’s overseeing the Trump University case, on the basis of his ethnicity. Just as Trump was finally moving past that came the horrific attack in Orlando, which induced Trump to reiterate his call for a ban on Muslim immigration, and also to suggest Barack Obama had betrayed the country. That, in turn, again gave Republicans the jitters about Trump’s fitness for office.
Senator Mark Kirk of Illinois had already become the first Republican to heed his colleague Lindsey Graham’s plea for Trump endorsers to rescind their backing. After Curiel’s comments, Governor Brian Sandoval of Nevada backpedaled a bit, saying he was now “not sure” he could back Trump. Since Orlando, there have been a few more shifts. Representative Fred Upton of Michigan said he would not be endorsing Trump, while former Senator Larry Pressler went a step further, and actually endorsed Clinton. And Governor John Kasich of Ohio, the final presidential rival to leave the race against Trump, finally broke his silence. He did not slam the door shut on backing Trump, but he hardly sounded like a guy who was ready to fall into line.
“You know, it’s painful. It’s painful. You know, people even get divorces, you know? I mean, sometimes, things come out that, look, I’m sorry that this has happened,” he said on Morning Joe. “But we’ll see where it ends up. I’m not making any final decision yet, but at this point, I just can’t do it.”
Speaker Paul Ryan, who pointedly abstained from backing Trump for some time before announcing his backing, is not wavering. But he could sound a lot more confident about that than he does. Asked whether he’d withdraw his endorsement, he replied, “That’s not my plan. I don’t have a plan to do that.”
Meanwhile, an increasing number of Republican foreign-policy figures are speaking out against Trump. Neoconservative figures like Max Boot and Robert Kagan had already weighed in against Trump. On June 16, Richard Armitage—a deputy secretary of state under George W. Bush and of defense under Ronald Reagan—announced he was backing Clinton.
What’s unclear so far is whether Trump will just lose a few backers at a time, as he goes through each new incident of outrage and backlash, or if there will develop a critical mass of Republicans and conservatives who begin lining up against him. Besides, some people could switch sides. The radio host Hugh Hewitt, who just last week was calling for Trump to be dumped at the Republican National Convention, now suggests post-Orlando that his tough stance on security makes him clearly preferable to Clinton.
How do you solve a problem like The Donald? For Republicans and conservatives, the time for hoping Trump would simply burn himself out, collapse, and go away is over. Now they have to figure out what they’ll do: Sign up with Trump in the name of party unity, and distaste for Hillary Clinton? Or risk alienating the Republican nominee and reject him?
As the chaotic and failed attempts to stop Trump over the 10 months have shown, there’s no obviously right choice for how conservatives should respond. But which choice are people making? Here’s a list of some major figures and where they stand on Trump—right now. We’ll keep it updated as other important people take stances, or as these ones change their views about Trump.
Party Elders
George W. Bush: ABSTAIN
The former president “does not plan to participate in or comment on the presidential campaign,” an aide told the Texas Tribune. (May 4, 2016)
George H.W. Bush: ABSTAIN
“At age 91, President Bush is retired from politics. He came out of retirement to do a few things for Jeb, but those were the exceptions that proved the rule,” an aide told the Texas Tribune. (May 4, 2016)
Mitt Romney: NAY
The party’s 2012 nominee, one of Trump’s staunchest critics during the primary, told The Wall Street Journal, “I wanted my grandkids to see that I simply couldn’t ignore what Mr. Trump was saying and doing, which revealed a character and temperament unfit for the leader of the free world.” Romney continued: “I know that some people are offended that someone who lost and is the former nominee continues to speak, but that’s how I can sleep at night.” (May 27, 2016)
Romney previously told The Washington Post he would skip the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, and said at a D.C. dinner that he won’t be supporting Trump. (May 5, 2016)
Bob Dole: YEA (formerly UNDECIDED)
The former Senate majority leader and 1996 GOP presidential nominee endorsed Trump on May 6. He will also be the only living GOP nominee to attend the RNC. (May 6, 2016.) Dole previously would not commit to voting for Trump but said in January that Trump would be preferable to Cruz. (May 5, 2016)
John Boehner: YEA
The former speaker, who says he and Trump are “texting buddies,” told an audience at Stanford University that he’d back Trump in the general election. (April 28, 2016)
Trent Lott: YEA
The former Senate majority leader told The Clarion-Ledger that he will back Trump, despite some reservations. (May 4, 2016)
Tom DeLay: UNDECIDED
The former House majority leader hasn’t spoken out since Trump’s ascension, but was highly critical of him during the primary: “We have got to stop Trump. Whatever it takes without cheating or violating the rules of the Republican primaries,” he told Newsmax.
Dick Cheney: YEA
The former vice president blasted Trump during the primary over his stance on 9/11, and said he “sounds like a liberal Democrat,” but he now says he will back the nominee. (May 6, 2016)
Newt Gingrich: YEA
The former speaker of the House did not formally endorse Trump during the primary, but he has repeatedly praised the mogul and his vision, and is said to be a contender for a position in a Trump administration.
Jeb Bush: NAY
The former Florida governor and presidential candidate came to detest Trump during the campaign. In April, he said he would not attend the Republican National Convention. He now says he will not vote for either Trump or Clinton. (May 6, 2016)
Reince Priebus: YEA
As chair of the Republican National Committee, Priebus doesn't really have a choice, though that doesn’t mean he won’t pour Baileys in his cereal over it. (May 4, 2016)
.@realDonaldTrump will be presumptive @GOP nominee, we all need to unite and focus on defeating @HillaryClinton #NeverClinton
— Reince Priebus (@Reince) May 4, 2016
Priebus said on May 6 that Trump needs to change his tone.
Rick Perry: YEA
The former Texas governor and presidential candidate—who was one of the first to blast Trump—told CNN that he backs Trump. (5/5/16)
Mike Huckabee: YEA
The former Arkansas governor, who ran for president this year, says Republicans should get in line. “When we nominated people over the past several election cycles, some of us had heartburn, but we stepped up and supported the nominee,” he said. “You’re either on the team, or you’re not on the team.” (May 5, 2016)
Bobby Jindal: YEA
The former Louisiana governor, who during his own presidential campaign called Trump a “narcissist” and an “egomaniacal madman,” wrote in a Wall Street Journal column that he’s voting for Trump, “warts and all.” “I think electing Donald Trump would be the second-worst thing we could do this November, better only than electing Hillary Clinton to serve as the third term for the Obama administration’s radical policies,” he said. (May 9, 2016)
Eric Cantor: YEA
Cantor, the former U.S. representative from Virginia and House majority leader, says he will back Trump, though he offered a tepid endorsement, saying a Trump-Clinton matchup was “probably not the best choice for anybody,” and adding, “He’s a businessman . . . [but] he’s been on so many sides of every issue that you never know.” (May 9, 2016)
Ben Carson: YEA
Carson, a relative political newcomer who ran for president in 2016, has become one of Trump’s most prominent surrogates, despite repeatedly voicing misgivings about the candidate.
Rick Santorum: YEA
The former Pennsylvania senator and two-time presidential candidate appeared, with Mike Huckabee, at a Trump rally back in January, when they were ostensibly rivals. (Both Santorum and Huckabee already seemed finished by then.) Despite Santorum’s strong social conservatism, he says that after “a long heart-to-heart with Donald Trump” he is “100 percent” endorsing the nominee. (May 25, 2016)
Karl Rove: UNDECIDED
The former George W. Bush strategist and current Wall Street Journal columnist and PAC boss has called Trump “a complete idiot” who is “graceless and divisive.” (Trump, in turn, has asked, “Is he not the dumbest human being on earth?”) But The New York Times reports the two men met in May. (June 3, 2016)
Larry Pressler: NAY
A moderate and former three-term senator from North Dakota, Pressler has endorsed Hillary Clinton for president. (June 14, 2016)
Herman Cain: YEA
Mr. 9-9-9, the 2012 GOP presidential candidate, introduced Trump at a rally in Atlanta, calling him “one of the great conservative voices in America today.” He had previously told Republicans who didn’t back Trump to “get over it” but also insisted it was not an endorsement. (June 15, 2016)
Richard Armitage: NAY
Armitage, a former Navy officer who served as deputy secretary of state under George W. Bush and deputy secretary of defense under Ronald Reagan, says he will vote for Hillary Clinton. “If Donald Trump is the nominee, I would vote for Hillary Clinton,” he told Politico. “He doesn't appear to be a Republican, he doesn't appear to want to learn about issues. So, I’m going to vote for Mrs. Clinton.” (June 16, 2016)
Representatives
Paul Ryan: YEA (was UNDECIDED)
The House speaker once again affirmed his backing for Trump, offering the-less-than-resounding statement, “That’s not my plan. I don’t have a plan to do that.” (June 16, 2016)
has condemned Trump’s attacks on Judge Gonzalo Curiel’s as “absolutely unacceptable,” saying, “Claiming a person can’t do their job because of their race is sort of like the textbook definition of a racist comment,” but adding that he isn’t dropping his support for Trump. (June 7, 2016)
Ryan previously announced that he will vote for Trump:
I'll be voting for @realDonaldTrump this fall. I'm confident he will help turn the House GOP's agenda into laws. https://t.co/LyaT16khJw
— Paul Ryan (@PRyan) June 2, 2016
Ryan said he had become convinced that Trump would help Ryan enact his House agenda. (June 2, 2016)
Ryan initially said he intended to support the Republican nominee, but after Trump clinched the nomination, he said he was not yet prepared to back Trump. “To be perfectly candid with you, I’m just not ready to that at this point,” he told CNN’s Jake Tapper. “I’m not there. I hope to, and I want to.” He said the party needs “a standard-bearer that bears our standards.” (May 5, 2016)
Kevin McCarthy: YEA
The House majority leader, a Californian, has broken with Speaker Paul Ryan and will back Trump. McCarthy has signed up as a prospective delegate for Trump in the Golden State. (May 10, 2016)
Steve Scalise: YEA
The House majority whip, a Louisiana representative, offered Trump a tepid endorsement. (The two men share the dubious distinction of being linked politically to David Duke.) “I've always said that I will support the Republican nominee,” Scalise said. “Now is the time for for our party to unite around Donald Trump so that we can focus on defeating Hillary Clinton in November to prevent another four years of job-killing, big government policies so we can get our economy back on track.” (May 5, 2016)
Cathy McMorris Rodgers: YEA (formerly UNDECIDED)
The Washington representative, who is chair of the House Republican Caucus, offered Trump a tepid endorsement, pointing out that he was the choice of primary voters, but adding, “In the months ahead, he will have to earn the presidency by demonstrating that he has the temperament for the job and plans to empower every American to pursue a future of opportunity and freedom.” (May 19, 2016)
McMorris Rodgers previously said she had not made up her mind. “Before I endorse him, I would like to have a conversation with him. I would like to ask him questions about some of the statements he’s made,” she told The Spokesman-Review. (May 5, 2016)
Raul Labrador: YEA
The Idaho congressman, a Tea Party hero, tepidly backs Trump after opposing him in the primary and backing Cruz. “There are some things he doesn’t quite understand,” Labrador told The Huffington Post. “With Trump, I have at least some hope that he’s going to make the right choice.”
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen: NAY
The senior member of the Florida congressional delegation, who was born in Cuba and emigrated to the United States, has said she will not vote for Trump. “I will work with whomever is chosen by the American people to serve as president, because I deeply respect the American constitutional system,” she said in a statement. “In this election, I do not support either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton.” (May 6, 2016)
Fred Upton: ABSTAIN
The longtime Michigan congressman (and, true fact, uncle of Kate) says he will not endorse Trump, though he stopped short of saying he would not vote for him. “There’s a lot of things that folks are not happy about with either of these two candidates,” he said during a radio interview. “We’re running our own race, and don’t look for me to endorse anyone in this race probably the rest of the year.” (June 16, 2016)
Senators
Mitch McConnell: YEA
The Senate majority leader issued a statement tepidly backing Trump. “I have committed to supporting the nominee chosen by Republican voters, and Donald Trump, the presumptive nominee is now on the verge of clinching that nomination,” he said. (May 4, 2016)
Ted Cruz: UNDECIDED
The Texas senator floated the idea—likely unrealistic—of reanimating his suspending campaign and refused to endorse Trump. “We’ll see what happens as the months go forward, I think we need to watch and see what the candidates say and do,” he told Glenn Beck. (May 10, 2016)
In dropping out of the Republican race after losing to Trump, Cruz did not make any indication whether he was willing to back his rival. (May 3, 2016)
Jeff Sessions: YEA
The Alabama senator was Trump’s first endorser from the Senate, and he has been a high-profile backer and adviser to Trump’s campaign.
Susan Collins: UNDECIDED
The moderate Maine senator tells Time that she is in wait-and-see mode. “I’ve said from the point that it became obvious that Donald Trump was going to be the Republican candidate that I’d always supported previous presidential nominees of my party but that in this case I was going to wait and see what happened and that is what I am continuing to do.” (June 7, 2016)
Having previously said that her backing from Trump would be contingent upon a shift in his rhetoric, Collins then said she would support the nominee. (May 6, 2016)
Collins said: “I have always supported the Republican nominee for president, and I suspect I would do so this year, but I do want see what Donald Trump does from here on out.” To win her vote, “He’s going to have stop with gratuitous personal insults,” she said, amusingly. (May 4, 2016)
John McCain: YEA
The Arizona senator and 2008 GOP presidential nominee, who is in a tight reelection battle, says publicly that he’ll back the nominee. In a private recording obtained by Politico, however, he frets that Trump endangers his reelection effort, while his former top aide Mark Salter is backing Clinton. (May 5, 2016)
Kelly Ayotte: YEA
The New Hampshire senator, who is also in a tight reelection battle, says she plans to “support” but not “endorse” Trump, whatever that means. (May 5, 2016)
Rand Paul: YEA
The Kentucky senator and former presidential candidate says he will support Trump. (His father, ex-congressman and presidential contender Ron Paul, says he will not.) (May 4, 2016)
Lindsey Graham: NAY
The South Carolina senator and former presidential candidate blasted Trump following the nominee’s attacks on Judge Gonzalo Curiel, saying fellow Republicans should withdraw their endorsements. “This is the most un-American thing from a politician since Joe McCarthy,” he said. “If anybody was looking for an off-ramp, this is probably it. There’ll come a time when the love of country will trump hatred of Hillary.” (June 7, 2016)
CNN previously reported that Graham privately urged donors to unify around the nominee. A spokesman wouldn’t confirm or deny the report, but noted that Graham opposed a third-party campaign: “There hasn't been any change in his position. He's been pretty upfront and outspoken.” (May 23, 2016)
Graham was one of Trump’s most prominent critics during the primary, even endorsing Cruz even though he’d previously likened the choice between him and Trump to a choice between poisoning and being shot. The day Trump won Indiana, Graham tweeted:
If we nominate Trump, we will get destroyed.......and we will deserve it.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) May 3, 2016
Graham says he will not vote for either Trump or Clinton. (May 6, 2016)
Ben Sasse: NAY
The Nebraska freshman senator was another anti-Trump ringleader, and has been suggested as a third-party candidate. In a long Facebook post, he explained why he’s still not backing Trump. (May 4, 2016)
Marco Rubio: SOFT YEA
In an interview with The Weekly Standard, the Florida senator and former presidential candidate said that although he has backed Trump, who he views as preferable to Hillary Clinton, he still believes what he said during the presidentoal campaign: That Trump is unfit for the presidency and cannot be trusted with the nation’s nuclear arsenal. (June 9, 2016)
Rubio, who previously referred to Trump as a “con artist,” now says he backs Trump, will attend the Republican National Convention, and will release his remaining delegates to Trump. “I want to be helpful. I don't want to be harmful, because I don't want Hillary Clinton to be president,” he told Jake Tapper. (May 26, 2016)
Rubio had previously not spoken about the race since Trump became the presumptive nominee, but in late April he said that he’d support Trump in order to beat Hillary Clinton. (April 21, 2016)
Rob Portman: YEA
The Ohio senator, who’s locked in a tough reelection fight, has previously said he’d back the Republican nominee. Most recently, he said that having Trump on the ticket would be positive for his own hopes. (May 5, 2016)
Richard Burr: YEA
The North Carolinian, who also faces a tough reelection, supports Trump. (May 4, 2016)
2/3: I look forward to working with Mr. Trump at the top of the ticket and to maintaining a #GOP Senate.
— Richard Burr (@Burrforsenate) May 4, 2016
Roy Blunt: YEA
The Missourian, who is up for reelection, says he will support the nominee. (May, 5, 2016)
Ron Johnson: YEA
The Wisconsin senator, who is battling predecessor Russ Feingold, is one of the most precarious Republicans this year. He tepidly backed Trump. “As Ron has repeatedly said for months, he intends to support the Republican nominee, but he's focused on the concerns of Wisconsinites—not national political winds,” a spokesman told Roll Call. (May 5, 2016)
Pat Toomey: YEA
The Pennsylvania senator, another endangered incumbent, said: “It certainly looks like Donald Trump is on his way to the nomination .… Donald Trump was not my first choice. He wasn’t my second choice or third or fourth choice. I have lots have differences with Donald Trump and lots of problems with him but I am absolutely in the ‘never Hillary Clinton’ camp.” (May 4, 2016)
Mark Kirk: NAY (was YEA)
The Illinois senator, one of this year’s most endangered incumbents, has announced that he is no longer supporting Donald Trump—the first Republican to rescind his backing. “After much consideration, I have concluded that Donald Trump has not demonstrated the temperament necessary to assume the greatest office in the world,” he said. (June 7, 2016)
Kirk previously said he’d back Trump if nominated.
Tom Cotton: YEA
The rising-star Arkansas senator weakly endorsed Trump. “I’ve long said that I will support the Republican nominee because we can’t afford a third Obama-Clinton term,” he said. He had previously criticized Trump for mocking John McCain, but also said Trump would be “a more serious leader for our country” that Clinton. (May 5, 2016)
Bob Corker: YEA
The Tennessee senator, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has said he is willing to help Trump. Corker praised Trump’s otherwise widely panned foreign-policy address and is reportedly talking to him about overseas matters. He’s been mentioned as VP candidate. (May 10, 2016)
Mike Lee: UNDECIDED
Lee, a conservative Utahan and close associate of Ted Cruz, has not made his decision. “I have not supported Donald Trump up to this point, I have not endorsed him," Lee said, according to the Washington Examiner. "I have some concerns with him. He scares me to death; so does Hillary Clinton …. I'll make the decision as best I can, but I'm not there yet.” (May 11, 2016)
Orrin Hatch: YEA
The Utah senator, a longtime Washington fixture, backed Marco Rubio in the primary. After meeting with Trump on May 12, he said, “I totally endorse him.” Hatch also offered to help Trump pick Supreme Court nominees—moving to dampen one of the biggest conservative objections to Trump, which is that he can’t be trusted to select justices. (May 12, 2016)
Tim Scott: YEA
The South Carolinian, the GOP’s only black senator, quietly backed Trump after supporting Marco Rubio in the primary. He called Trump’s comments about Judge Gonzalo Curiel “racially toxic,” but is not rescinding his endorsement. (June 7, 2016)
Jeff Flake: NAY
The Arizona senator says he cannot at this point back Trump. “It’s uncomfortable not having endorsed the Republican nominee, I have to say,” he said. “But I can’t at this point. I hope to be able to support the nominee. I certainly can't right now.” (June 7, 2016)
John Cornyn: YEA
The Texas senator said in May, “I’m for the nominee of the party; if it’s Donald Trump, I’ll support him wholeheartedly.” He’s gone back and forth, warning in February that Trump could be “an albatross around the down-ballot races.” More recently, he’s announced he simply won’t talk about Trump. “Wish me luck,” he said. (June 15, 2016)
Governors
Chris Christie: YEA
The New Jersey governor and former presidential candidate was Trump’s first major establishment endorser, and has been a staunch ally.
Paul LePage: YEA
Maine’s sometimes-racist governor had backed Christie, but he quickly endorsed Trump after Christie did.
John Kasich: SOFT NAY
The Ohio governor and final Republican challenger to leave the race has not entirely slammed the door on backing Trump, but he said he cannot do so now. “We’ll see where it ends up. I’m not making any final decision yet, but at this point, I just can’t do it,” he said. (June 16, 2016)
Kasich previously had not said whether he’ll back Trump. In his comments leaving the race, Kasich pointedly did not mention Trump or indicate his leaning. (May 4, 2016)
Nikki Haley: YEA
The governor of South Carolina tangled with Trump ahead of that state’s primary, and was elegantly withering toward him at the time. But she says she will back him. “I have great respect for the will of the people, and as I have always said, I will support the Republican nominee for president,” she said. (May 4, 2016)
Brian Sandoval: UNDECIDED (was YEA)
The Nevada governor, a moderate conservative, once said he would back the GOP nominee, but now says he is “not sure.” “I will only say that you can't defend the indefensible," he said after Trump attacked Judge Gonzalo Curiel. (June 7, 2016)
Sandoval previously said he was no fan of Trump but will back him. “I plan to vote for the presumptive nominee although it is no secret that we do not agree on every issue. Elections are about making choices and the Democratic nominee is simply not an option,” he wrote on Facebook. He does not plan to attend the convention. (May 5, 2016)
Pete Ricketts: YEA
The Nebraska governor will back Trump. That’s a bit of a surprise because Ricketts’ father, mother, and brother were among the leading bankrollers of anti-Trump initiatives. Trump threatened them in February, tweeting, “They better be careful, they have a lot to hide!” (May 5, 2016)
Mike Pence: YEA
The Indiana governor and social conservative cautiously endorsed Cruz ahead of the Hoosier State primary, but he’s now on the Trump train. “I’m fully supportive of our presumptive nominee, and I do think Donald Trump will do well in the State of Indiana,” he said. (May 6, 2016)
Charlie Baker: NAY
The moderate Massachusetts governor told reporters he would not vote for Trump and doubted he’d vote for Clinton. Later the same day, a spokeswoman clarified to The Boston Globe: “Governor Baker will not be voting for Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton.” (May 4, 2016)
Rick Snyder: ABSTAIN
Michigan’s governor—a rising GOP star until the Flint water scandal derailed his career—will not endorse Trump, nor will he weigh in otherwise, he said. “I’ve stayed out of the whole thing, and I’m going to continue to,” he told the editorial board of The Detroit News. “I’ve got important things I want to work on in Michigan.” (June 2, 2016)
Pat McCrory: YEA
The North Carolina governor, facing a tough reelection fight in November, offered a pro-forma endorsement for Trump when pressed by a News and Observer reporter: “I’ve stated that I would support the Republican nominee. Anything else?” (June 7, 2016)
Scott Walker: UNDECIDED
The Wisconsin governor, a former presidential rival of Trump’s, has been fairly quiet about the race. Although he previously said he intended to back the nominee, whoever that was, he is now hedging, lamenting the “poor choices” Americans face. He declined to endorse Trump, citing his comments about Judge Gonzalo Curiel. “He’s not yet the nominee. Officially that won’t happen until the middle of July, and so for me that’s kind of the timeframe,” Walker said. “In particular I want to make sure that he renounces what he says, at least in regards to this judge.” (June 8, 2016)
Larry Hogan: NAY (was ABSTAIN)
The governor of Maryland told The Washington Post he does intend to vote for Trump. “No, I don’t plan to,” he said. “I guess when I get behind the curtain I’ll have to figure it out. Maybe write someone in. I’m not sure.” (June 15, 2016)
Hogan has repeatedly expressed his disgust with Trump and tried to deflect conversations about national politics. “My thoughts are pretty clear. I’ve talked about it ad nauseam for four or five months,” he said. “My thoughts haven’t changed. I have nothing more to add. I’m not involved in it. I don’t care to be involved in it. I’m not going to endorse anyone and would rather focus on things here in Maryland.” Hogan said he didn’t know who he’d vote for. (June 9, 2016)
Susana Martinez: UNDECIDED
The New Mexico governor was initially mentioned as a VP candidate—not the first time, since as a woman and Hispanic she’d add a lot of diversity to a GOP ticket. But she and Trump have since waged a war of words, with Trump first applauding her, then blasting her, then saying he’d like her endorsement. Martinez has not endorsed Trump, but says she will not be backing Hillary Clinton. (June 16, 2016)
Pundits and Opinionmakers
Bill Kristol: SOFT NAY
The editor of The Weekly Standard threw his lot in with the #NeverTrump crowd with gusto, and he’s been a leading advocate for a third-party alternative. But these days, he seems a bit confused about what exactly the word “never” means: “I mean, I guess never say never. On the one hand, I’ll say #NeverTrump, and on the other hand, I’ll say never say never. I'll leave it ambiguous.” (May 2, 2016)
Ross Douthat: APPARENT NAY
After spending the primary alternately criticizing Trump and forecasting his doom, the New York Times columnist seems especially dyspeptic and despairing. (May 5, 2016)
Erick Erickson: NAY
The radio host, editor of The Resurgent, and former RedState editor writes: “Hillary Clinton is unfit for the Presidency, but so is Donald Trump. Some Republicans may decide it is time to be a team player, but I will put my country before my party and decline to help the voters in this country commit national suicide.” (May 4, 2016)
Leon Wolf: NAY
Wolf, the editor of RedState, has been a prominent Trump critic. He says he’s leaning toward voting for a Libertarian candidate. “I genuinely believe that Hillary Clinton would be a better President than Trump, and it’s not close,” he wrote. “That said, Hillary would also be a terrible President, there’s no doubt about that.” He also called on Senate Republicans to confirm Merrick Garland, President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee, lest Trump do the choosing instead. (May 4, 2016)
Ann Coulter: YEA
Coulter has been a fanatical backer of Trump for months.
George Will: NAY
The dean of conservative columnists detests Trump, and has called for Republicans to defeat him if he is their nominee: “Were he to be nominated, conservatives would have two tasks. One would be to help him lose 50 states—condign punishment for his comprehensive disdain for conservative essentials, including the manners and grace that should lubricate the nation’s civic life.” (April 29, 2016)
Charles Krauthammer: SOFT NAY
The leading writer has been very critical of Trump, but in an interview with Bill O’Reilly, he left the door ajar to change his mind. “Let me just say from what I’ve seen up until now, heard from Trump and watched him, I don’t think I’d be capable of voting for Donald Trump,” he said. “Question is, what do I do? I don’t know yet.” (May 3, 2016)
Bill O’Reilly: APPARENT YEA
Without officially stating his support, the Fox News personality has repeatedly defended Trump. (May 5, 2016)
Sean Hannity: YEA
Hannity has been one of Trump’s two most reliable cheerleaders in the media. “I’ll be voting for Donald Trump in November,” he said. (May 31, 2016)
Matt Drudge: YEA
The publisher of the Drudge Report has been, along with Hannity, Trump’s best friend in the press.
Sarah Palin: YEA
The former Alaska governor and vice-presidential candidate endorsed Trump with a Dadaist address to Iowans in January, and she’s stumped for him since.
The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board: SOFT YEA
The editors of the nation’s most powerful conservative editorial board are not fans of Trump’s, but they are resigned. “Mr. Trump wasn’t our first choice, or even the 15th, but the reality is that more GOP voters preferred him to the alternatives,” they wrote. “Yet GOP voters made the ultimate decision, and that deserves some respect unless we’re going to give up on democracy.” The board also criticized the move for a thirty-party candidate, irking Bill Kristol.
Joe Scarborough: UNDECIDED (was SOFT YEA)
The MSNBC host and token network conservative was among the friendliest voices in the media toward Trump during the Republican primary. He has been more critical since then. Referring to Trump’s attacks on Judge Gonzalo Curiel, he announced to Republicans, “You have to start calling him out and saying you'll retract your endorsement of him today or else the United States Senate is in danger.” A day before, he compared Trump’s remarks to the Nazi Nuremberg race laws. (June 7, 2016)
Scarborough previously announced was not sure whether he can vote for Trump, citing Trump sticking to outlandish promises like a ban on Muslim immigration that he made during the primary. (May 5, 2016)
Rush Limbaugh: SOFT YEA
The leading right-wing talk-show host has been a booster of Trump all along—to the agitation of Trump-opposing conservatives—despite occasionally criticizing him. After Trump’s Indiana win, Limbaugh predicted: “My instinctive feeling right now is that Trump is gonna win, beat Hillary badly, that it could be landslide proportions.” He has declined to formally endorse Trump, though. (May 23, 2016)
Glenn Beck: NAY
Beck, the talker who was a Cruz backer, has remained steadfastly opposed to Trump since he became the presumptive nominee. He says Trump cannot win. “I don’t want my children to look at that man and say, ‘Yeah, he’s my President.’ I won’t have that. I will not endorse it, I will not tolerate it,” he said. (May 4, 2016)
Rupert Murdoch: YEA
The hugely influential conservative mogul—owner of The Wall Street Journal, Fox News, and the New York Post—suggested in March that the Republican Party coalesce around Trump:
As predicted, Trump reaching out to make peace with Republican "establishment". If he becomes inevitable party would be mad not to unify.
— Rupert Murdoch (@rupertmurdoch) March 2, 2016
The coverage of Trump late in the primary led Ted Cruz to lash out and accuse Murdoch & Co. of aiding Trump.
Max Boot: NAY
Boot, a leading neoconservative and military historian, says that although he’s a lifelong Republican, the party is dead and he won’t vote for Trump: “The risk of Trump winning, however remote, represents the biggest national security threat that the United States faces today.” While “Clinton would be far preferable to Trump,” Boot says that right now “I only know one thing for sure: I won't vote for Trump.” (June 3, 2016)
Michael Reagan: NAY
The son of former President Ronald Reagan, an influential talk-radio host and writer, said he would not vote for Trump in the California primary and added, “This most likely would be the 1st time if my father was alive that he would not support the nominee of the GOP.” (June 6, 2016)
Hugh Hewitt: SOFT YEA (was NAY)
In the aftermath of the Orlando attack, the talk-radio host, who helped moderate several of the Republican primary debates, has actually softened on Trump, writing in a Washington Post column that his focus on security shows that he’s potentially preferable to Hillary Clinton. (June 15, 2016)
Hewitt had taken an unusually hard line against Trump, not only declining to support him but, in the wake of Trump’s comments about Judge Gonzalo Curiel, actually calling for the Republican National Convention to jettison Trump as nominee. (June 8, 2016)
Robert Kagan: NAY
Kagan, a leading neoconservative historian and writer, was among the first conservatives to back Clinton, writing way back in February, “For this former Republican, and perhaps for others, the only choice will be to vote for Hillary Clinton. The party cannot be saved, but the country still can be.” He later wrote of Trump, “This is how fascism comes to America.” (February 25, 2016)
Donors
Sheldon Adelson: YEA
The Vegas-based megadonor, and major advocate for Israel, may have been perturbed by Trump’s statements about the Jewish state during the campaign, but he told The New York Times he’s supporting him. “Yes, I’m a Republican, he’s a Republican,” he said. “He’s our nominee. Whoever the nominee would turn out to be, any one of the 17—he was one of the 17. He won fair and square.” (May 5, 2016)
Paul Singer: NAY
The major Republican donor, who backed Marco Rubio and contributed to anti-Trump efforts, will not back Trump, NBC News reported. Bloomberg reported he’ll stay out of the presidential race. (May 5, 2016)
Joe and Marlene Ricketts: UNDECIDED
The billionaire couple spent at least $5.5 million on anti-Trump efforts during the primary, and Trump at one point threatened them, tweeting, “They better be careful, they have a lot to hide!” They have not made their stance public, though their son Pete, the governor of Nebraska, has endorsed Trump.
Charles and David Koch: SOFT NAY
Prior to Trump’s becoming the presumptive GOP nominee, Charles Koch said he thought Hillary Clinton might be a better president than Trump, though he made no indication that the famed pair of brothers would back her. They now say they are not backing Trump, though a spokesman did not rule it out entirely. (May 5, 2016)
Peter Thiel: YEA
Thiel, the PayPal founder and well-known venture capitalist, is known as a libertarian—though Rand Paul tried and failed to court him as a major backer. (Thiel ended up donating to former Silicon Valley denizen Carly Fiorina.) Thiel has signed up as a prospective Trump delegate from California. (May 10, 2016)
Stanley Hubbard: YEA
Hubbard, a longtime Republican donor, gave thousands to the Stop Trump effort earlier this spring. Now he says he’ll back Trump. “All of my favorite candidates dropped out one by one,” he told Politico. “We’re down to my least favorite candidate. And my least favorite candidate is better than Hillary Clinton in terms of what’s best for the country.” (May 10, 2016)
T. Boone Pickens: YEA
The Oklahoma oil billionaire—and recent renewable-energy fanatic—is a former Jeb Bush backer, but Pickens now supports Trump, citing his support for Trump’s ban on Muslim immigration. “Yes, I’m for Donald Trump … I’m tired of having politicians as president of the U.S.,” he told The Wall Street Journal. He will host a fundraiser for a pro-Trump super PAC. (May 12, 2016)
Foster Friess: YEA
The former Rick Santorum bankroller has decided to back Trump, telling The Hill that Trump can’t be judged either by his past stances and behaviors or by what he does and says now. “My success came from harnessing people’s strengths and ignoring their weaknesses,” he said. “And also, from assessing people not according to their pasts or where they are today, but rather based on what they can become.” (May 23, 2016)
Woody Johnson: YEA
The New York Jets owner was a major donor to Mitt Romney in 2012 and to Jeb Bush’s Right to Rise super PAC—as well as for John McCain and George W. Bush. He met with Trump on May 23 and will reportedly donate and help bundle donations for Trump. (May 24, 2016)
Mel Sembler: YEA
Sembler is a major fundraiser and a longtime political ally of the Bush family, having served as an ambassador under both Presidents Bush. Naturally, he supported Jeb Bush’s presidential run. After Jeb Bush dropped out of the race, he said, “Times have changed, the country has changed, the electorate has changed. I don't understand our country any more.” Understand it or not, he’s decided to go along, and has signed on as a vice chairman of the Trump fundraising effort. (May 24, 2016)
Faith Leaders
Jerry Falwell Jr.: YEA
Falwell, president of Liberty University and son of the iconic Moral Majority leader, has been one of Trump’s staunchest backers.
Russell Moore: NAY
Moore, who is president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, says he will not vote for either Trump or Clinton but will write in Ben Sasse. (May 5, 2016)