Subject: Former Presidents George W. Bush and George H.W. Bush Join Growing List of Conservatives Rebuking Trump as He Captures GOP Nomination
From: Hillary for America Press <[email-masked]>
To: Hillary for America Press <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 5 May 2016 14:24:49 -0400
List-Id: <nationalpress2016.hillaryclinton.com>

​

*Former Presidents George W. Bush and George H.W. Bush Join Growing List of
Conservatives Rebuking Trump as He Captures GOP Nomination*

On Tuesday, Donald Trump effectively captured the Republican nomination.
Two days later, as Trump has repeatedly doubled down on his plan to ban
Muslims from entering the U.S.
<http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/278645-trump-to-stick-with-muslim-ban>
and his support for mass deportation of immigrants
<http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN0XW0TP>, prominent activists,
journalists, donors and elected officials in his own party continue to
figure out what Hillary Clinton has argued all along: Donald Trump is too
big a risk for America.

*Take a look at the growing group of prominent conservatives who are
promising that they’ll never vote for Trump:*

*Texas Tribune: Bush 41, 43 Have No Plans to Endorse Trump
<https://www.texastribune.org/2016/05/04/bush-41-43-have-no-plans-endorse-trump/>:
*"For the first time since his own presidency, George H.W. Bush is planning
to stay silent in the race for the Oval Office — and the younger former
president Bush plans to stay silent as well. Bush 41, who enthusiastically
endorsed every Republican nominee for the last five election cycles, will
stay out of the campaign process this time. He does not have plans to
endorse presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump."

*Nevada Senator Dean Heller*
<http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2016-05-04/trump-s-triumph-leaves-many-republicans-at-a-loss-for-words>*:
*“I vehemently oppose our nominee and some of the comments and issues he
brought up during the campaign"

*Arizon Senator Jeff Flake
<https://twitter.com/seungminkim/status/727962471324102659>:*
"@seungminkim: .@JeffFlake on if he could support Trump: "I can’t see how I
can if he continues to advocate those policies." (such as Muslim bans +
wall)"

*Rep. Louie Gohmert [R-TX]*
<http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/donald-trump-republican-nominee-transition-222785>
*:* "Texas Rep. Louie Gohmert balked at backing Trump without an apology
for his rhetoric toward Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and warned that Trump could
cost Republicans a majority in Congress. “I had no fear of losing the House
until I saw this weekend the commercial against Sen. John Boozman in
Arkansas. They run quote after quote from Donald Trump's mouth,” Gohmert
told Fox Business Network. “This is a dangerous time.”"

*Rep. Ann Wagner [R-MO]
<http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/wagner-declining-endorse-trump-missouri-cruz-backers-shift-focus>:
"*A candidate has to earn my vote. And thus far, Donald Trump has not."

<http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2016/05/05/michigan-gop-officials-come-grips-trump/83952022/>
*Rep. Justin Amash [R-MI]
<http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2016/05/05/michigan-gop-officials-come-grips-trump/83952022/>:*
"U.S. Rep. Justin Amash, the Grand Rapids area Republican who first
endorsed Kentucky U.S. Sen. Rand Paul and then Cruz for the GOP nomination,
has said he would not vote for Trump.
*"*

*New Hampshire State Rep. Bill O'Brien
<http://www.unionleader.com/Dan-Tuohys-Granite-Status-Plenty-of-work-to-do-to-unite-parties&source=RSS>:*
"Conservative leader Bill O’Brien, a state legislator and former House
Speaker who served as Cruz state co-chairman, said he would not endorse
Trump."

<http://goog_2039122990>
*Ohio State Senator Shannon Jones
<http://www.cleveland.com/opinion/index.ssf/2016/05/despite_donald_trumps_indiana.html>:
"*If Trump is the nominee, Jones said she will not vote for a candidate in
the election for president."

*Former Virginia Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling
<http://www.loudountimes.com/news/article/high_profile_virginia_republicans_lining_up_against_donald_trump432#.VyqOM6ikDsc.twitter>:*
"What are more traditional Republicans, who are not at all comfortable with
Trump, supposed to do?"

*Alan Steinberg, former regional EPA administrator under George W. Bush
<http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Republicans-New-Jersey-Backlash-Donald-Trump-Presidential-Nominee-GOP-378159341.html?_osource=mobilesharebar>:*
"Said he's actually voting for Hillary Clinton, with whom he worked when
she was U.S. senator for New York. "She can work with people on the
opposite side of the political aisle," he said."

*Elliott Abrams, former foreign policy advisor for Presidents Ronald Reagan
and George W. Bush
<https://twitter.com/RosieGray/status/728256680937574400>*: "won't be
voting for Trump"

*Andy Card, former White House Chief of Staff under President George W.
Bush <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNH2PbrHs8U&feature=youtu.be>:* "I'd
probably write in a name."

*CatholicVote* <http://www.catholicvote.org/what-now/>: "We will not
endorse Donald Trump for President at this time."

*New York Times: With Donald Trump in Charge, Republicans Have a Day of
Reckoning* <http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/05/us/politics/trump-gop.html>*:*
"Over the last two days, more than 70 Republican governors, senators,
representatives, officials and donors were contacted directly or through
aides for comments about Mr. Trump. Only about 20 replied, with many aides
saying their bosses did not want to take a stand yet; others begged off by
saying the officials were traveling or “too busy” to email, call or release
a statement."

*Bloomberg: Big-Spending Fracking Family Behind Cruz Won't Back Trump
<http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2016-05-05/big-spending-fracking-family-behind-cruz-won-t-back-trump>:
*"Add the conservative Wilks family of Texas, among the biggest spenders in
the presidential race so far, to the list of donors who won't support
Donald Trump in the general election.

*"**Politico: The [GOP] donor class remains unswayed
<http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/trump-megadonors-koch-222825>:*
"Republican donors want nothing to do with Donald Trump [...] in interviews
with more than a dozen major GOP funders, not one on Wednesday would commit
to donating to Trump.

*Washington Examiner: Conservative national security experts vow to keep
fighting against Trump
<http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/conservative-national-security-experts-still-against-trump/article/2590354>:
*"Conservative national security experts who vowed not to support Donald
Trump are saying nothing has changed now that he is the presumptive
nominee. "When I said 'never Trump,' I meant it," Colin Dueck, an associate
professor at George Mason University's School of Policy, Government and
International Affairs, told the Washington Examiner. Dueck was one of 121
conservative national security experts who signed an open letter in March
promising to work "energetically to prevent the election of someone so
utterly unfitted to the office.""

*Washington Post: ‘I feel like I got smacked by a 2x4’: Va. Republicans
react to Trump as the likely nominee*
<https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/i-feel-like-i-got-smacked-by-a-2x4-va-republicans-react-to-trump-as-the-likely-nominee/2016/05/04/9a6cb932-11f5-11e6-93ae-50921721165d_story.html>
*:* With the departure of Ted Cruz from the presidential race Tuesday
night, many national Republican loyalists lamented the future of a party
that could field a nominee as polarizing as Donald Trump. But the news was
particularly jarring for Virginia Republicans fresh off two days of party
warfare at a state convention where Cruz came out on top."

*Loudon Times-Mirror [Virginia]: High-profile Virginia Republicans lining
up against Donald Trump
<http://www.loudountimes.com/news/article/high_profile_virginia_republicans_lining_up_against_donald_trump432>:
*"Many long-time Virginia Republicans found themselves despondent Wednesday
after Donald Trump became the GOP's presumptive presidential nominee.
“Twenty-nine years of Republican activism down the drain,” former state
Del. David Ramadan, a Dulles-area conservative, told the Times-Mirror. “I
feel like someone stuck a knife in me.”"

<http://www.thehawkeye.com/news/local/republicans-diverge-on-trump-as-nominee-question-conservative-values/article_d98998d7-3da7-5c5d-889b-caec400bd11d.html>
*The Hawk Eye [Burlington, Iowa]: Republicans diverge on Trump as nominee,
question conservative values
<http://www.thehawkeye.com/news/local/republicans-diverge-on-trump-as-nominee-question-conservative-values/article_d98998d7-3da7-5c5d-889b-caec400bd11d.html>:*
"Angie Davidson of Wapello resigned her position as chairwoman of the
Louisa County Republican Party in March after the county convention. She
now supports Libertarian presidential candidate Austin Peters and will not
vote Republican in the November general election."

*NBC New York: Donald Trump Faces GOP Backlash in NJ as He Becomes Likely
Presidential Nominee
<http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Republicans-New-Jersey-Backlash-Donald-Trump-Presidential-Nominee-GOP-378159341.html?_osource=mobilesharebar>:*
"Steve Lonegan, who once ran against Chris Christie for governor, was state
chair for Cruz. Now he's packing up what's left of the campaign, buttons,
stickers and all. "I'm not going to say I'm voting for Hillary. I'm also
not voting for Donald Trump," he said. "I may not vote.""

*Wisconsin Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke
<http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/wisconsin-republicans-grappling-over-donald-trump-as-nominee/article_51e34e84-f832-5a43-8a26-31372b1daed6.html>:*
Steineke  "who has called Trump “a liberal and a liar,” hedged in his
opposition, but said Wednesday he does not currently support the
presumptive nominee."

*Burglinton, Iowa Tea Party Chairwoman Rose Kendall*
<http://www.thehawkeye.com/news/local/republicans-diverge-on-trump-as-nominee-question-conservative-values/article_d98998d7-3da7-5c5d-889b-caec400bd11d.html>
*:* "At this point, Kendall said she was unlikely to vote in November for
any candidate."

*Meanwhile, other prominent conservatives are working to distance
themselves from Trump or not commenting on whether they will support him in
November:*

*Washington Post: Mitt Romney will skip Trump’s nominating convention in
Cleveland
<https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/05/05/mitt-romney-will-skip-trumps-nominating-convention-in-cleveland/?postshare=3571462465354352&tid=ss_tw>:
*Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee, plans to skip this
summer's Republican National Convention in Cleveland where Donald Trump
will be officially nominated -- an unusual move that underscores the deep
unease many Republican leaders have about the brash celebrity mogul as
their standard bearer.

*Former Senator Bob Dole
<https://twitter.com/Bencjacobs/status/728262449250578433>:* “Despite the
fact that Bob Dole is attending the RNC this year, he will not commit to
voting for the Republican nominee in November."
*Michigan Governor Rick Snyder
<http://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/2016/05/04/michigan-republicans-begin-line-up-behind-donald-trump/83940484/>:
*"Gov. Rick Snyder, a Republican in his second and final term as governor,
maintained a distance from the political race. His spokesman, Ari Adler,
said Wednesday that Snyder was “not planning on getting involved in the
presidential election right now, as he has too many immediate challenges to
address,” including  the Flint water crisis and funding for Detroit
schools."

*Albuquerque Journal: Martinez not ready to endorse Trump
<http://www.abqjournal.com/768600/martine-znot-ready-to-endorse-trump-or-be-vp.html>:*
Republican Gov. Susana Martinez isn’t endorsing the GOP’s presumptive
presidential nominee, Donald Trump – not now, anyway.

*Rep. Rod Blum [R-IA]*
<http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/2016/05/04/iowa-gop-comes-terms-presumptive-nominee-trump/83942846/>:
"Did not respond to multiple requests for comment from the Register" about
whether he would support Trump.

*Reps. Steve Stivers & Pat Tiberi [R-OH]
<http://www.dispatch.com/content/blogs/the-daily-briefing/2016/05/5-4-2016-lawmakers-on-kasichs-decision.html>*:
"Neither House member mentioned whether they’d support Trump."

*Rep. Steve King [R-IA]
<https://www.buzzfeed.com/natemcdermott/steve-king-trump-needs-to-reach-out-convince-conservatives-t>:*
“I’ve never seen a nominee pour out so many insults on other people as
Donald Trump has,” King said. “This isn’t the day to highlight all those
and grind through all that, but I’ll say this: Donald Trump will have to
reach out to conservatives and do some convincing.”

*Politico: McCain on tape: Trump damages my reelection hopes*
<http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/trump-latinos-mccain-222810>*:* ""If
Donald Trump is at the top of the ticket, here in Arizona, with over 30
percent of the vote being the Hispanic vote, no doubt that this may be the
race of my life,” McCain said, according to a recording of the event
obtained by POLITICO. “If you listen or watch Hispanic media in the state
and in the country, you will see that it is all anti-Trump. The Hispanic
community is roused and angry in a way that I've never seen in 30 years.""

*Click here
<https://www.hillaryclinton.com/briefing/factsheets/2016/05/04/conservatives-rebuke-trump-as-he-captures-republican-nomination-2/>
for the full list of conservatives who are rebuking Trump.*

###

For Immediate Release, May 4, 2016
Contact: [email-masked]

PAID FOR BY HILLARY FOR AMERICA
Contributions or gifts to Hillary for America are not tax deductible.
Hillary for America, PO Box 5256, New York

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