Republican Candidates Cruz and Kasich Signal GOP Crackup #StandwithTrump

Kasich, Cruz pound Trump on campaign manager’s arrest; all re-think pledge to support nominee.

Sen. Ted Cruz and Gov. John Kasich ganged up on front-runner Donald Trump on Tuesday over battery charges filed against his campaign manager, while all three contenders expressed misgivings about their pledge to support the party’s nominee.

The candidates appeared separately at a CNN-televised town hall meeting in Milwaukee amid fresh signs that the party is badly divided a week before Republican voters in Wisconsin cast ballots in the primary.

Perhaps no question caused as much rhetorical gymnastics as a query about The Pledge. At the first Republican presidential debate back in August, all of the candidates — except Trump — raised their hands when asked if they would support the eventual nominee of the party. Although he declined then, Trump also later signed the pledge.

“No, I won’t,” Trump said when asked if he would keep his pledge to back the eventual Republican nominee were it not him.

“No, I won’t,” Trump said when asked if he would keep his pledge to back the eventual Republican nominee were it not him. Trump told moderator Anderson Cooper that he has been treated unfairly. By whom? “I think by, basically, the RNC, the Republican Party, the Establishment,” he said.

The candidates did not sound nearly so committed on Tuesday. Cruz did not directly answer the question but said he is not in the habit of backing people who insult the wives of other candidates.

“Let me tell you my solution to that: Donald is not going to be the GOP nominee,” said Cruz. “We’re going to beat him … Nominating Donald Trump would be an absolute train wreck. I think it would hand the general election to Hillary Clinton.”