Ryan: I am not ready to support Trump as the Republican nominee

As Donald Trump's main rivals withdraw from the Republican primary, it appears he will be the party's candidate in the presidential election. However, several key figures in the Republican Party have refrained from endorsing Trump. Paul Ryan, the Republican Speaker of the House, stated in an interview with CNN on Thursday, May 5, 'I am not ready to support Trump at this time.' According to CNN, Ryan's position as the highest-ranking Republican in the process of determining the party's final nominee is particularly significant. Ryan will preside over the Republican National Convention, which will announce the final nominee, scheduled to take place from July 18 to 21 in Cleveland. Ryan emphasized the need to unify the party, stating that the primary responsibility lies with the potential nominee who must unite party members. He acknowledged Trump's achievement in reaching his current position in the primaries but noted that to become the symbol of the Republican Party, a candidate needs characteristics that the public associates with the party. Ryan remarked, 'This party is Abraham Lincoln, Ronald Reagan, and Jack Kemp, and we do not typically nominate Reagan or Lincoln every four years, but we hope our nominee is eager to embody Reagan and Lincoln, someone who expands the party's frameworks and appeals to the majority of Americans.' Meanwhile, Mitt Romney, the Republican nominee who ran against Barack Obama in 2012, announced that he would not attend the final Republican National Convention this summer to announce the party's nominee. CNN reports that this news reflects the depth of divisions within the Republican Party regarding the final nominee for the presidential election in November. Additionally, local media reported on Thursday, citing advisors to former Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, that both former presidents do not support Trump's candidacy as the final Republican nominee for the presidential election. Following Trump's victory in the Indiana primary on Tuesday, Senator Ted Cruz withdrew from the presidential race. Subsequently, John Kasich, Trump's last rival, also exited the Republican primaries on Wednesday.