Donald Trump bags endorsement of House Speaker Ryan

Washington, June 3: In a major boost to Republican party unity ahead of the November polls, House Speaker Paul Ryan has endorsed presumptive nominee Donald Trump, saying that they have "more common ground than disagreement".

"I feel confident he would help us turn the ideas in this agenda into laws to help improve peoples' lives. That's why I'll be voting for him this fall," Ryan said in an op-ed published in Gazette Xtra.

Ryan, citing "major policy differences", had refused to endorse Trump after he emerged as the presumptive presidential nominee following his win in the Indiana primary elections in May. Thereafter, the two had a series of meetings and phone calls.

The Speaker has now insisted that despite differences between the two men, they have more common ground than divergence.

"It's no secret that he and I have our differences. I won't pretend otherwise. And when I feel the need to, I'll continue to speak my mind. But the reality is, on the issues that make up our agenda, we have more common ground than disagreement," he said.

"I'll be voting for @realDonaldTrump this fall. I'm confident he will help turn the House GOP's agenda into laws," he tweeted. His goal from the start, Ryan said, was to unite the Republican party so they could win in the fall. "And if we're going to unite, it has to be over ideas.

Donald Trump and I have talked at great length about things such as the proper role of the executive and fundamental principles such as the protection of life," he said "The list of potential Supreme Court nominees he released after our first meeting was very encouraging," he said.

He also said he would start introducing a series of policy proposals that address the American peoples' top priorities, starting next week. "To enact these ideas, we need a Republican president willing to sign them into law.

That's why, when he sealed the nomination, I could not offer my support for Donald Trump before discussing policies and basic principles," he wrote.

Trump welcomed the endorsement that he had been awaiting for weeks now. "So great to have the endorsement and support of Paul Ryan. We will both be working very hard to Make America Great Again!" he tweeted.

The two had met face-to-face for the first time in May, where they vowed to unite the party to ensure victory in the November polls.

"The United States cannot afford another four years of the Obama White House, which is what Hillary Clinton represents," Trump and Ryan said in their joint statement after the meeting at the Republican National Committee headquarters.

PTI