Trump said he’s “never been there” on backing McCain “because I’ve always felt that he should have done a much better job for the vets.” | Getty Trump declines to endorse Ryan or McCain 
 
 Donald Trump is “not quite there yet” when it comes to endorsing Paul Ryan, the Republican presidential nominee said Tuesday, echoing the House speaker’s rhetoric before he ultimately endorsed Trump as the GOP nominee earlier this year. 
 
 In an interview with The Washington Post on Tuesday, Trump refused to endorse Ryan, who faces a primary challenge against Paul Nehlen in Wisconsin next Tuesday, and Arizona Sen. John McCain, who is squaring off against a tea party-backed doctor and former state senator, Kelli Ward. 
 
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 “I like Paul, but these are horrible times for our country,” Trump told the Post. “We need very strong leadership. We need very, very strong leadership. And I’m just not quite there yet. I’m not quite there yet.” 
 
 Trump’s snub of the Wisconsin Republican — he told the Post that Ryan sought his endorsement — comes a day after he thanked Nehlen via Twitter, blasting out the lesser-known candidate’s handle to his 10.5 million followers. 
 
 “Thanks to @pnehlen for your kind words, very much appreciated,” Trump tweeted Monday. 
 
 Ryan's campaign spokesman denied that the speaker solicited Trump's backing. 
 
 "Neither Speaker Ryan nor anyone on his team has ever asked for Donald Trump's endorsement. And we are confident in a victory next week regardless," the spokesman, Zack Roday, said. 
 
 Ryan is expected to trounce Nehlen in next Tuesday's primary. 
 
 In a statement blasted out by his campaign after Trump's comments were published, Nehlen accused the House speaker of "working against his party’s nominee and the American people" and said his "repeated betrayals of the GOP nominee is beneath the dignity of the speakers’ office and is morally disqualifying." 
 
 Ryan, who has been critical of Trump throughout his campaign, shied away from condemning him by name after he attacked a Gold Star family in response to remarks Khizr Khan made last week at the Democratic National Convention. Nehlen has sided with Trump -- linking Monday to a Breitbart story accusing Ryan of being a “double agent” for defending the Khans. 
 
 Trump's non-endorsement of the House speaker mimicked the language Ryan used when he declined to back Trump even after he had vanquished the last of his Republican rivals. “I’m not there right now,” the speaker told CNN in May. A month later, though, Ryan got on board. 
 
 Trump said he’s “never been there” on backing McCain “because I’ve always felt that he should have done a much better job for the vets.” 
 
 “So I’ve always had a difficult time with John for that reason, because our vets are not being treated properly,” Trump said. “They’re not being treated fairly.” 
 
 The real estate mogul also attacked Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.), who has also been critical of his remarks on the Khan family, for not supporting his campaign. 
 
 “I don’t know Kelly Ayotte. I know she’s given me no support — zero support — and yet I’m leading her in the polls,” Trump said. “I’m doing very well in New Hampshire. We need loyal people in this country. We need fighters in this country. We don’t need weak people. We have enough of them.” 
 
 Trump doubled down in an appearance on Fox News on Tuesday evening. 
 
 "I’ve never been a big fan of John McCain and I just hate the way our veterans have been treated by John and other people," Trump said. "I hate it. I look at our veterans, how badly they’ve been treated, the suicides, the tremendously bad treatment.” 
 
 As for Ayotte, Trump said, “If she’s not involved with me, I’m just not involved with that. I’m very involved with New Hampshire. I love New Hampshire. I’ve done a lot for New Hampshire. And New Hampshire frankly likes me. I have a nice lead in New Hampshire and she doesn’t." 
 
 Ayotte appeared to respond with this tweet, which did not mention Trump by name: "I call it like I see it and I'm always going to stand up for our military families and what's best for the people of New Hampshire." 
 
 Jake Sherman contributed. 
 
 Authors: ||||| Trump Thanks Paul Ryan's House Challenger For Supporting Him In Khan Dispute 
 
 Enlarge this image toggle caption Win McNamee/Getty Images Win McNamee/Getty Images 
 
 Rep. Paul Ryan is a powerful member of Congress — he's House speaker serving his ninth term, and up for re-election. But some persuasive forces — including GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump and conservative pundit Ann Coulter — are expressing support for his Wisconsin primary opponent Paul Nehlen. 
 
 The state holds its Republican primary next Tuesday, Aug. 9. 
 
 Ryan has endorsed Trump, though it's hardly a cozy relationship — Ryan took a while to endorse, and during his Republican convention speech he barely mentioned the candidate. 
 
 And he hasn't been shy about criticizing Trump. Over the weekend, Ryan defended Khizr Khan, a Muslim father who spoke at the Democratic convention about his soldier son who was killed in Iraq in 2004. Ryan said he "rejects" any religious test for entering the country — a clear jab at one of Trump's evolving immigration proposals — and that "Captain Khan was one such brave example" of Muslim-Americans who have "served valiantly in our military and made the ultimate sacrifice." 
 
 A religious test for entering our country is not reflective of America's fundamental values. I reject it. pic.twitter.com/DdsYj2XoLS — Paul Ryan (@SpeakerRyan) July 31, 2016 
 
 Members of Congress were mostly silent or critical of Trump's response to Khan. Sen. John McCain said, "I hope Americans understand that the remarks do not represent the views of our Republican Party, its officers, or candidates." 
 
 But Nehlen, who has referred to Ryan as "Lyin' Ryan" (reminiscent of Trump's own attacks of his presidential primary opponents), defended Trump's response to Khan, saying it was Khan who had "attacked, ridiculed and attempted to humiliate Mr. Trump and his positions on critical national security issues." In a statement, Nehlen wrote a point-by-point defense of Trump's response to the Khans and stance on terrorism. 
 
 Paul Ryan AGAIN Misrepresents Trump Position, This Time on “Religious Test” Brouhaha. https://t.co/i5rkVHDExG pic.twitter.com/3F9Tl6FWn1 — Paul Nehlen (@pnehlen) August 1, 2016 
 
 "Just because Capt. Khan was a patriotic Muslim-American who loved and fought for his adopted country, that doesn't mean other Muslim-Americans don't hate the United States and wish our people deadly harm," Nehlen wrote. 
 
 In a tweet, Trump thanked Nehlen for his post: 
 
 Thanks to @pnehlen for your kind words, very much appreciated. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 1, 2016 
 
 Nehlen has also attracted national attention beyond Trump. Conservative pundit Ann Coulter will join Nehlen at two rallies this Saturday in Janesville and Kenosha. And former vice presidential nominee and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has endorsed Nehlen, saying Ryan's "political career is over but for a miracle because he has so disrespected the will of the people." 
 
 Nehlen is tapping into that populist sentiment with his #DumpRyan campaign — hitting Ryan over immigration and for not proposing to build a border wall like Trump has. One TV ad features parents whose children were apparently killed by undocumented immigrants: 
 
 YouTube 
 
 "Don't let one more American child die because Paul Ryan won't secure the border. Your vote on August 9th can save a life," Nehlen said at a recent campaign rally. 
 
 On Tuesday, Trump told the Washington Post he's not yet ready to endorse Paul Ryan in the Wisconsin primary. "I like Paul, but these are horrible times for our country," Trump said. "We need very strong leadership. We need very, very strong leadership. And I'm just not quite there yet. I'm not quite there yet." 
 
 Former Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders has also waded into a House race by supporting Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz's primary opponent Tim Canova. Sanders had repeatedly called for Wasserman Schultz to resign as chair over her handling of the election. She did so after the convention, and after an email leak showed DNC staffers trying to undercut the Sanders campaign. 
 
 "The political revolution is not just about electing a president, sisters and brothers. We need a Congress with members who believe, like Bernie, that we cannot change a corrupt system by taking its money," an email from the Sanders campaign in support of Canova read. ||||| Washington (CNN) Donald Trump endorsed House Speaker Paul Ryan and Arizona Sen. John McCain on Friday, moving to mend an intra-party rift that has put the Republican presidential nominee at odds with its highest-ranking elected official. 
 
 Trump's endorsements came at a rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin. 
 
 "We will have disagreements, but we will disagree as friends and never stop working together toward victory. And very importantly, toward real change," Trump said, reading off a prepared statement. "So in our shared mission, to make America great again, I support and endorse our speaker of the House, Paul Ryan." 
 
 Trump earlier in the week had declined to endorse Ryan and McCain, as well as New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte. 
 
 "And while I'm at it, I hold in the highest esteem Sen. John McCain for his service to our country in uniform and in public office, and I fully support and endorse his re-election," said Trump, before backing Ayotte. 
 
 The real estate mogul's campaign immediately sent out a list-building email to supporters, writing, "It's time to unite our Party and deny a third term of Obama. I have officially endorsed Paul Ryan -- and together, we will fight for YOU, and together we will Make America Great Again!" 
 
 Trump's endorsements came more than 10 minutes after he began reading his statement, cutting in several times to offer tangential remarks -- from again rehashing an incident involving a crying baby at a recent rally to touting the strength of his fundraising. 
 
 Trump heavily emphasized his outsider status in the lead-up to delivering his endorsements of three incumbent Republicans with a combined tenure in Congress of more than a half century. 
 
 "It's time to change a rigged political system that works only for the insiders and to replace it with a government that serves the people," Trump said. 
 
 But then, Trump pointed out that he owes his success to his ability to put together "a really fantastic team" and stressed that he would need a Republican House and Senate to accomplish his agenda as president. 
 
 And while he did not shy away from the disagreements he has had with Ryan, McCain and Ayotte -- all of whom have not hesitated to criticize Trump at times -- the Republican nominee leaned on a GOP icon to massage his endorsement. 
 
 "My 80% friend is not my 20% enemy," Trump said, quoting President Ronald Reagan. "We are going to be the big tent party." 
 
 The move comes just days ahead of Ryan's Tuesday primary matchup with challenger Paul Nehlen, who had played up Trump's refusal to back the speaker -- as well as Ryan's tepid support for Trump. 
 
 It's not clear that Ryan is keen to receive Trump's endorsement. He repeatedly told Wisconsin radio stations in recent days that he's only seeking endorsements from the voters in his district, and a Ryan aide said he hadn't received word as of early Friday afternoon of Trump's plans. 
 
 After the endorsement, another Ryan aide said the speaker "appreciates the gesture and is going to continue to focus on earning the endorsement of the voters in Southern Wisconsin." 
 
 Nehlen, who was at the rally, told CNN Friday night that Trump's endorsement was for "party unity" and not a statement of support for Ryan's policies. 
 
 "Mr. Trump did this for party unity and I applaud him for that," Nehlen said. "That is the mark of a true leader." 
 
 Nehlen insisted it wasn't awkward to stand in a sea of people cheering and applauding as Trump announced his endorsement of the House speaker. 
 
 "I fully expected it," said Nehlen, who added that he did not speak with or meet with Trump in recent days beyond their public exchange on Twitter. 
 
 Meanwhile, Ayotte -- who said in June she will vote for Trump but was "not endorsing anyone" -- issued a tepid statement Saturday through a spokeswoman: "I appreciate his support, and I look forward to defeating Maggie Hassan and Hillary Clinton in November." 
 
 'I'm not quite there yet' 
 
 Trump had balked at endorsing Ryan on Tuesday in an interview with The Washington Post, a move that intensified concerns about his presidential campaign within the GOP as Trump already faced controversy over his criticism over the weekend of the parents of an American soldier killed in combat. 
 
 "I like Paul, but these are horrible times for our country. We need very strong leadership. We need very, very strong leadership. And I'm just not quite there yet. I'm not quite there yet," Trump said in the Post interview. 
 
 The remarks infuriated many in the Republican establishment, and a GOP source told CNN Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus was especially frustrated because Ryan and Priebus, both from Wisconsin, are very close. On Friday, Priebus announced that he and his wife voted for Ryan. 
 
 Sally and I were proud to vote for @SpeakerRyan - also nice to deliver the ballots in person at Somers Town Hall. — Reince Priebus (@Reince) August 5, 2016 
 
 Trump's running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, did endorse Ryan the following day -- a move that both Pence and Trump have said occurred with Trump's blessing. 
 
 "I strongly support Paul Ryan, strongly endorse his re-election," Pence, a longtime congressional colleague of Ryan's, said in a phone interview with Fox News. "He is a longtime friend. He's a strong conservative leader. I believe we need Paul Ryan in leadership in the Congress of the United States." 
 
 Ryan told WTMJ's Charlie Sykes, a Wisconsin talk radio host, on Friday morning that he hadn't spoken with Trump since the Republican convention ended last month. 
 
 Ryan, who withheld his own endorsement of Trump for weeks after Trump had clinched the party's nomination, deflected Sykes' questions about whether he might withdraw that support. 
 
 "I'm not going to get into any hypotheticals," he said. "I see no purpose in doing this tit for tat petty back and forth with Donald Trump cause it serves no good purpose in my mind." 
 
 Ryan had dismissed the importance of a Trump endorsement Friday morning in another local radio interview with WISN's Jay Weber. 
 
 "I'm not going to try and psychoanalyze this stuff," the House speaker told Weber. "Honestly, the endorsement, personally the ones that I care about, are the ones from the people here in Wisconsin, my first congressional district employers. So you know I'm just going to rise above this stuff, and I'm not going to get involved in some sort of petty back and forth, I see no purpose in doing that."
– In what the Washington Post calls an "extraordinary breach of political decorum," Donald Trump isn't endorsing Paul Ryan in his Wisconsin primary battle. Trump tells the Post he's "not quite there yet" when it comes to backing Ryan. Trump may be getting his revenge on Ryan, who last spring said he was "not there right now" about endorsing Trump before finally giving in. It's also possible Trump's decision not to endorse Ryan has to do with Ryan not supporting Trump's continued attacks on the Khans. Meanwhile, Ryan's primary opponent, Paul Nehlen, defended Trump's comments this week, saying the Khans "attacked, ridiculed, and attempted to humiliate Trump," according to NPR. Trump then publicly complimented Nehlen's "very good campaign." “I like Paul, but these are horrible times for our country,” Trump tells the Post. “We need very strong leadership." Trump claims Ryan sought his endorsement, a claim denied by a Ryan spokesperson. Regardless, Ryan is expected to easily defeat Nehlen, Politico reports. Trump also refused to endorse John McCain in his primary campaign, claiming McCain hasn't done right by the country's veterans. In the same Post interview, Trump called out New Hampshire Republican Sen. Kelly Ayotte. It should be noted that both Ayotte and McCain denounced Trump's attacks on the Khans. Ayotte says she still plans to vote for Trump.