The standoff between House Speaker Paul Ryan and presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump could soon be coming to an end.
Ryan has supposedly told those close to him that he’s prepared to end the standoff, Bloomberg reports, though his aides have told the news outlet that the speaker has not yet made the decision to officially endorse Trump.
However, Trump’s campaign manager, Paul Manafort, is saying the opposite. He reportedly told a group of Republican legislators that the nominee is expecting an endorsement from Ryan as early as this week. On the other hand, a spokesperson for Ryan told Bloomberg, “There’s no update and we’ve not told the Trump campaign to expect an endorsement.”
The tension between Trump and Ryan, as well as other prominent Republican figures, has contributed to a stark party division. A nod from Ryan could help unite the GOP around Trump’s campaign, as it would pressure other holdouts to accept him as the party’s nominee.
The speaker has previously been averse to endorsing Trump, explaining that he’s uninterested in a “fake unification” and he first wants to ensure that he truly is a conservative—a valid concern.
Additionally, the two simply don’t see eye to eye on various matters, particularly free trade and immigration. Ryan and Trump aides have reportedly met numerous times over the past couple weeks to discuss policy issues, potentially setting the scene for an endorsement.
Republican strategist and Ryan’s friend David Senor, appearing on Bloomberg Television’s With All Due Respect, expressed disappointment regarding a potential endorsement: “All Republican leaders should think twice about endorsing someone who is trafficking in racism, sexism, and misogyny and is not a conservative.”
Coins2Day has reached out to Paul Ryan’s office and the Trump campaign and will update this story if they respond.