Hours before polls are set to open for Super Tuesday, House Speaker [crscore]Paul Ryan[/crscore] slammed GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump for his failure to denounce former Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard David Duke’s endorsement during a press briefing with Republican leaders.
The Wisconsin Republican said the narrative has been focused on white supremacist groups instead of candidate policies in the days leading up to 11 states voting on a nominee.
Ryan, who did not directly name Trump during his remarks, said he tries to avoid commenting on the ups and downs of the primary, but felt the need to speak out on the issue since it does not reflect the views of the party.
“So today I want to be very clear about something: If a person wants to be the nominee of the Republican Party, there can be no evasion and no games,” he said. “They must reject any group or cause that is built on bigotry.”
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“This party does not prey on people’s prejudices. We appeal to their highest ideals. This is the Party of Lincoln,” he continued. “We believe all people are created equal in the eyes of God and our government. This is fundamental, and if someone wants to be our nominee, they must understand this.”
Ryan said it’s time for the focus to return to how to best fix the country. He hopes it is the last time he has to speak out on the race.
Trump has taken several swipes at Ryan while campaigning. He said Ryan would not have been his first pick for speaker and blamed him for Mitt Romney’s presidential loss in 2012.
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