House Speaker Paul Ryan 'encouraged' after Donald Trump meeting

Washington, May 13: House speaker Paul Ryan and Republican Party's presumptive presidential nominee Donald Trump concluded a highly anticipated meeting amid signals that the party will work to piece itself together after a fractious primary.

Ryan has sought to portray his openness to Trump, despite withholding his endorsement, CNN reported. "This is our first meeting, I was very encouraged with this meeting, but this is a process. It takes some time, you don't put it together in 45 minutes," he said on Thursday.

The speaker called Trump's achievement of earning more votes than any Republican candidate in history "really kind of unparalleled" and clearly hoped to channel the support for the presumptive nominee into support for a conservative policy agenda writ large.

"The US cannot afford another four years of the Obama White House, which is what Hillary Clinton represents. That is why it's critical that Republicans unite around our shared principles, advance a conservative agenda, and do all we can to win this fall," Trump and Ryan said in a joint statement following their hourlong meeting.

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus hosted the session.

"Great day in DC with SpeakerRyan and Republican leadership. Things working out really well," Trump tweeted after the meeting. "I thought it was a great meeting," Trump said in an evening interview on Fox News.

Trump suggested the two sides would eventually come together. "I don't mind going through a little bit of a slow process," Trump said. "We're getting there".

However, Ryan acknowledged that there were bitter divisions within the party, and the schisms were not going to "magically disappear overnight".

IANS