Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
Speaker of the House Paul Ryan told Jake Tapper in an interview Thursday that he cannot endorse presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump right now. "I'm not ready to do that yet," he said. "I am not there right now. I hope to and want to."
Ryan himself had previously been floated as a presidential candidate that could rival the more extreme elements of Trump, but he ultimately declined to seek the candidacy. While Ryan said that he hopes to have a united Republican party, he added the "bulk of the burden for uniting the party" needs to be on Trump.
"At this point, I think that he needs to do more to unify the party and do more and bring the party together," he told CNN. "Then to go forward and appeal to all Americans and every walk of life and background and a majority of independents and so, you know, I think conservatives want to know does he share the values and our principles and the government and the role of the executive."
Trump has already faced backlash from Republican establishment just a day into his role as presumptive nominee. George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush both said on Wednesday that they would not endorse his candidacy or attend the Republican National Convention in July.
Ryan previously condemned Trump's remarks about the potential for riots at the convention if it was going to be a contested event. "Nobody should say such things in my opinion because to even address or hint at violence is unacceptable," Ryan said in March.