#NeverTrump GOP endorsements LATEST: Graham and Lee voted McMullin

[Mr. Morden]

Any chance that a moderator could do an SE Cupp and edit the opening post to list all the #neverTrump folks in a neat list.

I'll make a list like that some time later this week.  Though if someone else wants to do it for me, please go ahead.

The Hill allegedly lists the #NeverTrumps here:

http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/278141-republicans-who-vow-to-never-back-trump

However, I think they have been too broad in defining #NeverTrump for that list.  Pataki, for example, has been quite critical of Trump during the primary campaign, but I'm not aware of him actually saying that he wouldn't vote for him in the GE.

[Mr. Morden]

WaPo has a lengthy roundup of some of the Trump-as-presumptive-nominee reaction from prominent #NeverTrump conservative writers and bloggers:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/paloma/daily-202/2016/05/04/daily-202-after-trump-s-indiana-romp-anti-trump-republicans-consider-their-options-including-voting-for-hillary-clinton/572926d8981b92a22d51233f/

Meanwhile, we’ve gone into another dimension at Redstate, with blog posts at the staunchly conservative website now including such titles as “Republicans Should Confirm Merrick Garland ASAP”:

http://www.redstate.com/leon_h_wolf/2016/05/04/republicans-confirm-merrick-garland-asap./

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[7,052,770]

WaPo has a lengthy roundup of some of the Trump-as-presumptive-nominee reaction from prominent #NeverTrump conservative writers and bloggers:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/paloma/daily-202/2016/05/04/daily-202-after-trump-s-indiana-romp-anti-trump-republicans-consider-their-options-including-voting-for-hillary-clinton/572926d8981b92a22d51233f/

Meanwhile, we’ve gone into another dimension at Redstate, with blog posts at the staunchly conservative website now including such titles as “Republicans Should Confirm Merrick Garland ASAP”:

http://www.redstate.com/leon_h_wolf/2016/05/04/republicans-confirm-merrick-garland-asap./

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If Obama did withdraw Garland, could the Senate confirm him anyway and claim the president can't withdraw nominees? Could we have another long court battle on our hands?

[Maxwell]

Baker reiterates - he's not voting for Trump or Clinton in November

http://www.necn.com/news/politics/Massachusetts-Gov-Charlie-Baker-Says-He-Wont-Vote-for-Donald-Trump-or-Hillary-Clinton-378127391.html

[Mr. Morden]

Now that everyone else has dropped out, I guess we wait and see over the next few days, what the fence-sitters decide to do.  E.g., Lindsey Graham and Jeb Bush initially pledged to endorse the nominee, then they backtracked to undecided.  Now what do they do?  What do Bush 41 and Bush 43 do?  What do Cruz and Kasich do?

And what about those ~20 Republican Senators who never gave a straight answer when asked if they'd endorse the nominee, even if it was Trump?

[Nathan Towne]

I dumped the Republican party today for the time being. I will remain an Independent as long as Trump is the direction of the party.

[Crumpets]

Any chance that a moderator could do an SE Cupp and edit the opening post to list all the #neverTrump folks in a neat list.

It'll be interesting to revisit it during the campaign season to see who'll eventually buckle (assuming they admit it publicly).

There's some Atlas slang if I ever heard some.

[Fargobison]

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https://twitter.com/Politics1com/status/727914250212126720

[Fargobison]

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https://twitter.com/seungminkim/status/727962471324102659

[Mr. Morden]

Looks like both Bush-41 and Bush-43 plan to endorse no one, and not even indicate who they're going to vote for:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/05/04/bush-41-and-43-have-no-plans-to-endorse-trump/

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[Likely Voter]

NH Sen. Ayotte is finding a new position
http://www.wmur.com/politics/wmur-first-after-trump-win-ayotte-plans-to-support-him-spokeswoman-says/39373086

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So she is 'supporting' but not 'endorsing' Trump. Does that maker her "MaybeTrump"? or "SortofTrump"?

[IceSpear]

Ayotte sure sounds like a low energy loser there.

Hopefully Hassan takes her to the woodshed over this.

[Mr. Morden]

Larry Hogan’s previous statement on this left a little wiggle room, but he now reiterates that he will not endorse Trump:

http://www.tbo.com/maryland-governor-says-he-still-wont-support-trump-ap_election697e1637a9244459bcf0cb6abb28a7f9

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[Mr. Morden]

Hoeven is taking the Ayotte line of “support but not endorse”:

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/2016-senate-republicans-say-nothing-on-trump-222795

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Heller, on the other hand, appears to be #NeverTrump:

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Also, many Senate Republicans aren’t going to the RNC this summer or are leaning against it:

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/article75615352.html

Blunt
McCain
Kirk
Ayotte
Johnson
Moran
Burr
Murkowski

[Mr. Morden]

Susan Collins remains non-committal on Trump.  She won’t endorse him yet, but says she probably will if he starts behaving better…no final decision until the convention though:

https://www.buzzfeed.com/andrewkaczynski/susan-collins-ill-be-able-to-back-trump-if-he-stops-the-grat?utm_term=.nsGymA5Vv#.ty9rPoGDj

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[Mr. Morden]

Bill Kristol was sounding wobbly on this as recently as yesterday, but today he reiterated that he won't vote for Trump:

http://mediamatters.org/video/2016/05/04/weekly-standard-s-bill-kristol-im-looking-independent-candidate-trump-likes-rapists/210233

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[ag]

I really hope Murkowski would endorse Clinton. This is the only thing that would put Alaska into play.

[100% pro-life no matter what]

Sasse just wrote an essay on Facebook about this election:

https://www.facebook.com/sassefornebraska/posts/593031420862025

[swf541]

Sasse just wrote an essay on Facebook about this election:

https://www.facebook.com/sassefornebraska/posts/593031420862025

Sasse third party run incoming?

[100% pro-life no matter what]

Sasse just wrote an essay on Facebook about this election:

https://www.facebook.com/sassefornebraska/posts/593031420862025

Sasse third party run incoming?

He told a friend of mine who knows him no.

[Nichlemn]

Sasse: "America’s greatness isn’t found in a strongman’s narcissism."

Ben Sasse 2020 is a certainty.

He visited Iowa last week:

https://twitter.com/jasonnobleDMR/status/726191718215766017

So yes, it looks like the groundwork is being laid.

Although to be fair, Iowa does border Nebraska.

[This account no longer in use.]

Sasse just wrote an essay on Facebook about this election:

https://www.facebook.com/sassefornebraska/posts/593031420862025

Sasse third party run incoming?

Nah. More likely setting himself up as one of the 2020/2024 frontrunners.

[Fargobison]

RNC now purging #NeverTrump staffers...

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https://twitter.com/CheriJacobus/status/728084070454824960

[Mr. Morden]

I’ve tried to be comprehensive in this thread with listing current or former major office holders (I’m not going to get into state legislators and the like, because that would be silly).  I’ve been rather inconsistent though, with regard to whether it’s worth mentioning various conservative media figures or notable former strategists and aides to Republican politicians.  There are many of them, and it’s unclear where one should bother drawing the line.  However, here’s a list of 20+ of them who’ve said that they’re #NeverTrump (with references given):

http://mediamatters.org/research/2016/03/02/20-plus-conservative-pundits-who-have-vowed-not/208951

Many, but not all, of those names have already been mentioned in this thread.

[Admiral Kizaru]

Sasse just wrote an essay on Facebook about this election:

https://www.facebook.com/sassefornebraska/posts/593031420862025

Sasse third party run incoming?

Hopefully he actually does something to give him the "more choices" that he so desperately wants instead of perpetually bitching and whining about it.