A growing number of Republicans on Capitol Hill are lining up behind former President Donald Trump as he moves toward the Republican presidential nomination.
But some corners of the party – including Senate leaders, vulnerable Republicans and rank-and-file members – are still uneasy about the prospect of Trump leading the ticket, and privately hope he will somehow stumble between now and the nominating convention. .
Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate, said, “I've always been concerned” about Trump's viability as a general election candidate.
“General elections are won in the middle of the electorate,” Thune told CNN. “All of this also has repercussions on the Senate elections. “If we want to win a majority, we need a strong performance at the top of the ticket that translates into some down-ballot success.”
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, who has wanted the party to move past Trump, declined to comment Tuesday when asked if he is resigned to the fact that Trump will likely be his nominee.
Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, who, like Thune, is seen as a possible successor to McConnell one day, said the race is not over yet.
“If all the primaries were held today, Donald Trump would be the Republican nominee. But this is not over yet,” he told CNN. “We'll see how it all plays out.”
Read more about what Republicans say on Capitol Hill.
