After Donald Trump publicly refused to endorse House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) in his reelection race, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus reportedly offered Trump an ultimatum: Either he could shape up, or he could lose the support of the RNC's resources. Time, in its cover story out Thursday, described the moment as a sort of "breaking point" between the RNC chair and the Republican Party's presidential nominee:
The Wisconsin lawyer has been a dutiful sherpa to the Manhattan developer, guiding him through the dizzying altitude of the presidential race and lobbying the GOP to unite behind a figure who threatens its future.But every bond has its breaking point. For this partnership, the moment nearly arrived in early August. Priebus was on vacation when he learned that Trump had declined to endorse Paul Ryan, the speaker of the House and a close friend. The chairman had a frank message for the nominee, according to two Republican officials briefed on the call. Priebus told Trump that internal GOP polling suggested he was on track to lose the election. And if Trump didn't turn around his campaign over the coming weeks, the Republican National Committee would consider redirecting party resources and machinery to House and Senate races. [Time]
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