FULL LIST: Where every Republican in Congress stands on Donald Trump (6/16/2016)

Source: Washington Examiner | May 27, 2016 | Cassi Pollock

Billionaire businessman Donald Trump became the Republican Party’s presumptive nominee following the May 3 Indiana primary. From GOP leaders jumping on the Trump train to joining the #NeverTrump movement, here’s the Washington Examiner’s running list of where Republican members in Congress stand when it comes to supporting the party’s probable nominee:

Republican Senators

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Senators who will not endorse Donald Trump (7):

Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb. — Sasse wrote an open letter reiterating his refusal to support Trump on May 4.

Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev. — “I just can’t agree with some of his positions,” Heller told the Associated Press on May 4. He added he “vehemently” opposes some of Trump’s comments, and said he “would not commit” to vote for Trump.

Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz. — Following Trump’s controversial comments regarding the heritage of a Trump University judge, Flake told MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough on June 6 he couldn’t endorse Trump “at this point.” On June 7, Flake told reporters on Capitol Hill that Trump’s rhetoric could “spur” a challenge at the GOP convention in July.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. — Graham denied recent accounts claiming he was pushing lawmakers to unite around Trump, telling CNN on May 23 “nothing’s changed.”

Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill. — Following Trump’s comments regarding the heritage of the federal judge presiding over his Trump University case, Kirk issued a statement on June 7 retracting his support for Trump: “While I oppose the Democratic nominee, Donald Trump’s latest statements, in context with past attacks on Hispanics, women and the disabled like me, make it certain that I cannot and will not support my party’s nominee for President regardless of the political impact on my candidacy or the Republican Party.” Kirk previously told CNN in March that he’d “certainly” support Trump if he were the nominee.

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah — On May 11, Lee told constituents Trump “scares [him] to death,” and reiterated he hasn’t supported nor endorsed Trump up to this point. He finished by saying he’ll “make the best decision [he] can, but [he’s] not there yet.”

Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa. — Toomey said on radio show May 9: “My message to Donald Trump is: You need to unite the Republican Party if we’re gonna win this general election. I hope to get to the point where I can enthusiastically support Donald Trump. I’m not there right now and I hope we don’t get to a point where I decide I just can’t support him.”

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Senators who won’t say if they support Donald Trump (2):

Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colo. — In March, while speaking with the Wall Street Journal, Gardner said, “The Republican nominee will do better than Hillary Clinton any day, and I’ll support the Republican nominee.” Since Trump became the presumptive nominee, Gardner hasn’t confirmed that he intends on supporting Trump.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas — In an interview with conservative talk show host Glenn Beck, Cruz said on May 10, “We’ll see what happens as the months go forward, I think we need to watch and see what the candidates say and do.”

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Republican House Members

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House members who will not endorse Donald Trump (14):

Rep. Adam Kizinger, R-Ill. — Kizinger told WGN Radio on May 16 a President Trump would mean enemies would “fear us less.”

Rep. Barbara Comstock, R-Va. — “I can’t support Hillary Clinton, and I won’t be, but Donald Trump needs to earn the votes of me and many others,” Comstock said on May 6.

Rep. Bill Flores, R-Texas — On June 8, Flores said he can’t support Trump right now. He added Trump should “start addressing the issues of the country insted of bashing judges.” Flores previously told WTAW on May 4, “you have to swallow hard and vote for” Trump.

Rep. Carlos Curbelo, R-Fla. — On May 5, Curbelo emailed the Miami-Herald a statement saying, “I have no plans of supporting either of the presumptive nominees.”

Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich. — On June 14, Upton told radio station WHTC-AM he is not planning to endorse Trump, adding that the party’s presumptive nominee has gone “off the track.”

Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla. — According to the Miami-Herald, Ros-Lehtinen told NTN24 in April she didn’t “plan to vote for” Trump. “I don’t feel in my heart that I could support him. But I can’t support Hillary Clinton,” she said.

Rep. Justin Amash, R-Mich. — In March, Amash said Trump “cares about power, he doesn’t really care about things like the Constitution, and I’m concerned that he could push us in a very dangerous direction.”

Rep. Kay Granger, R-Texas — Granger said, “I’m not endorsing at this point. I endorsed Jeb Bush. I’m not going to endorse again,” on May 13.

Rep. Mark Sanford, R-S.C. — In an email to the Wall Street Journal, Sanford said Trump’s “candidacy is certainly one [he] cannot support,” the Post and Courier reported on March 1.

Rep. Reid Ribble, R-Wis. — Ribble reiterated his opposition to Trump on May 17, calling the relationship “unrecoverable.”

Rep. Richard Hanna, R-N.Y — On March 9, Hanna said he won’t endorse Trump, and called this campaign “beneath the dignity of the American people.”

Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C. — On May 20, the Washington Examiner confirmed with Hudson’s office the congressman’s “no endorsement policy.” The Fay Observer reported Hudson “learned from Hayes not to endorse anyone” on March 8.

Rep. Robert Dold, R-Ill. — On March 18, Dold said he’s focused on his re-election campaign. “Honestly, I’m focused on one race. I’m focused on one race alone.”

Rep. Scott Rigell, R-Va. — On March 1, Rigell called Donald Trump a “con man” and said he can’t support him for president.

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