Reid Ribble declares he will not support Donald Trump if he is Republican nominee
MILWAUKEE -- A Wisconsin congressman has taken the Donald Trump controversy a step further. He's gone on record, not only bashing Trump, but declaring he will not support him if he is the Republican nominee. Congressman Reid Ribble actually made his point-blank statement in answer to a reporter on Thursday, December 10th -- but he's still talking about it.
Donald Trump
"Donald J. Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States, until our country's representatives can figure out what the hell is going on," -- said Ribble.
Ribble says that statement from Trump was the straw that broke the camel's back.
"Had he said like many of us have been saying, we need to restrict Jihadist and terrorists from coming into the country I would have been applauding that. But that's not what he said," Ribble said.
Wisconsin Congressman Reid Ribble
And if Trump becomes the Republican nominee:
"I wouldn't support Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump," said Ribble.
Other Republicans might agree but haven't come out and said it.
Governor Scott Walker certainly wouldn't -- one way or the other.
"I think for any of those sorts of things it's a bit premature to say what any of us would do no matter who the nominee is," said Walker.
Governor Scott Walker
And even Ribble says he doesn't believe Trump will be the nominee -- but on the off chance...
"Donald Trump loses in a run and quite frankly we're likely, Republicans are likely to lose the U.S. Senate," said Ribble.
Mordecae Lee, UWM Professor of Urban Planning, says all of this is less about Trump's positions and more about Ribble's reelection in a district around Green Bay, that's not solidly Republican or a red district. Lee calls it more pink.
"So, what Congressman Ribble is doing is he's thinking ahead. 'I'm running for election on November of '16 and let's say that Donald Trump is the nominee of the party and let's say that those swing voters in November, who are going to decide if I get reelected as congressman or not, don't like Donald Trump. Well, I don't want them to vote against me because Donald Trump is the nominee of my party,'" Lee said.
Mordecai Lee
Ribble says he is not afraid of any backlash from Trump. It will be interesting to see if Trump responds or ignores him.