At least one Republican presidential candidate says he will be “reluctant” support his party’s eventual nominee. On Sunday, Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) told Fox News host Chris Wallace that if he loses, he will “probably not” endorse another any of the other candidates.
“Can you state flatly that you will support the Republican nominee in the off chance that it isn’t Ron Paul?” Wallace asked the candidate.
“Probably not, unless I get to talk to them and find out what they really believe in,” Paul admitted.
“But if they believe in expanding the wars, if they don’t believe in looking at the Federal Reserve, if they don’t believe in real cuts, if they don’t believe in deregulations and a better tax system, it would defy everything I believe in. And so, therefore I would be reluctant to jump onboard and tell all of the supporters that have given me trust and money, then all the sudden say, ‘All we’ve done is for nought so let’s support anybody at all even if they disagree with everything that we do.’”
“Would it mean then that you might consider an independent run?” Wallace wondered.
“No, it does not mean that at all,” Paul insisted. “I have no intention of doing that. That doesn’t make any sense to me.”
“Because?” Wallace pressed.
“Because I don’t want to do it,” Paul replied. “That’s a pretty good reason.”
After suspending his presidential bid in 2008, Paul refused a request to endorse Republican presidential candidate John McCain, choosing to support Constitution Party candidate Chuck Baldwin instead.
“I just will not be endorsing John McCain, nor will I endorse Obama,” Paul told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer at the time.
