On Top Of The News Email:news@arubatoday.com website: www.arubatoday.com Tel:+297 582-7800 Wednesday, May 11, 2016

Key Senate Republicans Swing Behind Trump; Doubters Remain 

ERICA WERNER
STEVE PEOPLES
Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) —
Key Senate Republicans
voiced optimism Tuesday
about Donald Trump’s
presidential prospects in
November, signaling clear-
ly to the GOP rank and file
to unite behind the bom-
bastic billionaire and turn
their energy toward bat-
tling Democrat Hillary Clin-
ton. But it was uncertain
whether they could quiet
the doubters.
“We have a nominee, it
looks like he may well be
very competitive, and
we want to win the White
House,” Senate Major-
ity Leader Mitch McCon-
nell, R-Ky., told reporters.
He also said, “We know
that Hillary Clinton will be
four more years of Barack
Obama. I think that’s going
to in the end be enough to

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., with, from left, Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., and Senate
Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas, speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, May 10, 2016.

                                                                                                                                             (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

unify Republicans across       proved too much to an-         publican candidate, and        The comments reflected
the country.”                  swer.                          it happens to be Donald        ongoing divisions in a par-
The comments came as           “We’re not doing any           Trump,” he said.               ty still reeling over Trump’s
primary voters were casting    Trump questions today,”        A third, Sen. Johnny Isak-     success in locking up the
ballots Tuesday in West Vir-   an aide to Sen. Mark Kirk      son of Georgia, deflected      nomination and pushing his
ginia and Nebraska.            of Illinois told a crowd of    questions about whether        two remaining rivals from
Doubt and angst over           reporters as Kirk, one of the  he would back Trump, say-      the race last week.
Trump remained palpable        most endangered Senate         ing he’s focused only on       McConnell and others
as GOP lawmakers re-           Republicans, sped into a       securing another six-year      have decided that the best
turned to Capitol Hill from a  meeting.                       Senate term.                   approach is to get behind
weeklong recess that saw       Another Republican who’s       “The only thing I can do is    Trump.
him effectively clinch the     up for re-election, Tim Scott  get re-elected so we have      But especially in light of
presidential nomination.       of South Carolina, offered     a Republican majority in       House Speaker Paul Ryan’s
For some, the question of      his support, but like others   the Senate,” Sen. Isakson      surprise decision to with-
whether they were back-        managed to sound grudg-        said. “I will support the Re-  hold his support, unity is elu-
ing their party’s standard-    ing and backhanded in the      publican ticket and I’m en-    sive for now.
bearer — a no-brainer in       process.                       dorsing me for my Senate
a normal election year —       “I’m supporting the Re-        seat.”                             Continued on page 4