Portman: Trump has ‘potential’ to help GOP candidates
CLEVELAND – Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) on Thursday said Donald Trump has the “potential” to be helpful to down-ballot Republicans this fall.
“We’ll see,” Portman, a vulnerable GOP senator, told reporters here when asked whether Trump helped his campaign. “I think he probably helps because he brings new people to the party.
{mosads}”I think he has a potential of being very helpful,” Portman continued, saying Trump’s performance in his keynote address Thursday night at the convention could be a good starting point.
“He could not only win Ohio, he could be helpful to me and others,” Portman said. “We’re running our own campaign, too,” he noted.
Portman has carefully navigated the GOP hubbub this week surrounding Trump as his Democratic Senate opponent Ted Strickland knocked him for not criticizing the controversial businessman.
Portman held multiple events surrounding the convention this week aimed at softening his image. He’s also addressed Ohio delegates on the convention floor but didn’t address the full convention from the stage.
“It’s been a great convention for me,” Portman told reporters.
The senator endorsed Trump soon after Ohio Gov. John Kasich, his favorite in the GOP race, dropped out.
“We have got to be, just as the Cavs fans have been during an amazing season, ‘all in,’ ” Portman told Buckeye State Republicans during a breakfast Thursday morning.
“This election is too important for us not to be all in,” he said, borrowing the slogan for the city’s championship-winning basketball team.
“The Trump-Pence ticket is going to be the right ticket to win in November,” Portman declared.
Portman praised Mike Pence’s speech Wednesday night at the convention. The Indiana governor and GOP vice presidential nominee’s speech was overshadowed by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) declining to endorsed Trump.
Cruz defended his snub Thursday morning at a breakfast with the Texas delegation, saying he shared his speech calling for people to “vote your conscience” with the Trump campaign well before he delivered it.
“I don’t think it was a surprise to anybody,” Portman told reporters. “People read the speech ahead of time, including the Trump campaign. So I think it was expected.”
Asked if he’d like to see Cruz offer more support for Trump, Portman told The Hill, “Sure, yeah, that’d be great. But he was in a very hotly contested primary and you can kind of understand where he’s coming from.”
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