Scott Walker will speak at the Republican National Convention — despite refusing to endorse Trump

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published 5 July 2016

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) seems to be the exception to Donald Trump's rule that any of his former competitors who haven't endorsed him won't be allowed to speak at the Republican National Convention. On Tuesday, the one-time 2016 Republican presidential candidate announced that he will be speaking at the GOP convention this month, despite his decision in June to back away from endorsing Trump following the presumptive nominee's controversial remarks about a Hispanic federal judge. Walker had previously vowed to support whoever the party's nominee may be.

While Walker's decision to speak isn't exactly a warm embrace of Trump, it is a decisive step away from other GOP lawmakers who have either said they will avoid the convention entirely or vote to replace Trump as the party's nominee. Walker, on the other hand, sees a vote against Trump as a vote for Hillary Clinton. "From the delegates I've talked to here in Wisconsin, as well as those across the country, as much as there have been legitimate issues raised and concerns — the bottom line is most delegates are headed down the path that I am," Walker said. "It's either gonna be Hillary Clinton or it's gonna be Donald Trump and we have to decide who we want it to be."