Which candidates will endorse Trump if they withdraw?

[Skye]

Let's say Cruz drops out. Do you see him endorsing Trump? I do.

[Classic Conservative]

No I don't at all, I see him endorse either Carson or Paul and maybe even Jindal.

[TJ in Oregon]

No way. Cruz may hate the establishment but it's because he doesn't want to betray his conservative principles. He's not about to then go and betray them by endorsing Trump in the primary.

Of course, should Trump win the nomination as Cruz withdraws, then the situation changes.

[Skye]

Well, I get it. But this thread isn't about Cruz. It's about who would actually endorse Trump.

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

No other Republican running for President will endorse Trump until after the convention.

[Mercenary]

None, just as he wouldn't endorse any other candidate if he somehow fizzles out.

[Horsemask]

I'm hesitant to say it'd happen in primary season, but general election time is a completely different entity.

[DavidB.]

He won't be the nominee, and if he will, a sane Republican will (and should) run "third party".

[Craigo]

None, except for that one-in-ten chance that he actually wins the nomination. Even then, Bush, Walker, Rubio, Graham, Paul, Kasich, Christie - they're all iffy.

[JMT]

Only candidate I could see endorsing Trump is Cruz, and that's still very iffy. Still not likely to happen. If it becomes clear Trump will be the nominee, maybe Cruz would endorse him before the convention (in hopes of possibly getting the VP slot on the ticket), but only if it is very evident Trump will be nominated.

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

I definitely think Carson would endorse Trump.

[socaldem]

Well, it depends who Trump is up against.

Presumably, the GOP field will be whittled down at some point. We have two wings of the party: establishment and insurgent (tea party) and in each, the candidates show varying levels of conservatism.

Establishment (from moderate/mainstream to extreme conservative):

John Kasich
Lindsay Graham
Chris Christie
Marco Rubio
Jeb Bush
Carly Fiorina
Scott Walker

Insurgent/Tea Party:

Rand Paul
Donald Trump
Ted Cruz
Ben Carson


I definitely think that Carson would endorse Trump over any of the establishment figures except, maybe, Walker. But I am not sure Walker will survive Carson in this race.  If its down to Trump and Rubio or Trump and Bush, would Cruz support Rubio/Bush over a still ascendant Trump?

If Walker were somehow to survive to the end against Trump, meanwhile, I imagine someone like Kasich might endorse Trump. Kasich isn't exactly establishment and Trump's pragmatism about getting things done might appeal to him vs. Walker's combative approach.

Not sure about Fiorina's relationship with Trump, though I imagine, like most women, she's appalled by the Megyn Kelly situation.

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

All of them, IF they think he's actually going to win the nomination. Not a one of them has any actual principles.

[OSR stands with Israel]

Carson,