Republican candidates hoping to derail front-runner Donald Trump have vocally criticized a series of his controversial comments, both before and after Thursday’s debates. But many of the candidates who have forcefully attacked Trump’s qualifications and judgment also effectively vowed to back him should he win the nomination.
Moments after Thursday’s prime-time Republican primary debate began, Fox News anchor Bret Baier asked the ten leading candidates whether they would pledge “support to the eventual nominee of the Republican party and pledge to not run an independent campaign against that person.” Nine candidates — all but Trump — indicated that they would back the party’s eventual nominee. While early primaries and caucuses award delegates proportionally, Trump has led in every major national primary poll for weeks, making it quite plausible that that nominee could be Trump.
But while these candidates are now on the hook to back Trump’s candidacy if he emerges as the GOP nominee, it does not appear that many of them believe him up to the task.
Gov. John Kasich
Kasich, whose campaign strategist recently compared debating Trump to racing against a drunk NASCAR driver, strongly denounced Trump’s attack on Fox News host Megyn Kelly, telling CNN, “I don’t appreciate what he said.” In a Tweet on Sunday addressing Trump’s statement, he added: “Everyone deserves respect and dignity, whether they agree with you or not. You don’t tear people down just because they disagree with you or stand up to you with a question.”
Sen. Marco Rubio
Even before Thursday’s debate, Rubio criticized Trump for insulting “all POWs, to all men and women who have served us in uniform, who have been captured in battle,” with his comments about Sen. John McCain (R-AZ). “It’s not just absurd, it’s offensive, it’s ridiculous, and I do think it is a disqualifier as commander-in-chief,” he told CNN last month, adding that Trump’s comments were nothing unusual. “We have to remember,” Rubio said, “this is a man who spent his whole life saying outrageous things.”
Ben Carson
Carson, a critic of political correctness, said on Sunday that Trump’s behavior went beyond being politically incorrect. “In no way do I advocate, you know, saying mean things about people. That has nothing to do with political correctness,” he said.Carson noted the “difference between political correctness and, you know, courteous speech.”
Gov. Scott Walker
Walker has generally avoided acknowledging Trump, dismissing the front runner and his behavior as “a side issue.” But on Monday, he told Fox News: “For a lot of us, it’s like watching a car accident instead of focusing on the direction we should be headed.” In a Tweet Sunday, he mocked Trump further, noting that “.@MegynKelly is a tough interview. Being POTUS is tougher.”
Former Gov. Jeb Bush
In July, Bush (whose wife Columba was born in Mexico) denounced Trump’s campaign kickoff attacks on Mexican immigrants, saying “I was hurt, hearing someone speaking in such a vulgar fashion.”
Politico reported last week that Bush made his views on Trump clear to a billionaire donor, calling the real estate mogul “a buffoon,” a “clown” and an “asshole.” And on Saturday, at a conservative gathering, he said Trump’s comments would alienate female voters, asking rhetorically, “Do we want to win? Do we want to insult 53 percent of our voters?”
Sen. Rand Paul
Paul attacked Trump on Monday as a “fake conservative,” writing in an op-ed, “Donald Trump is showing he isn’t suited to lead the country, and I think we all need to discuss why.” Earlier, he called Trump’s comments “vulgarity,” and noted “I have no idea what his real philosophy is, other than that he is for promoting himself.”