Top Republican is clearly not thrilled about voting for Donald Trump
AP Photo/Susan Walsh
Cathy McMorris Rodgers wasn't thrilled about casting a ballot for Donald Trump, as she explained in a lengthy Facebook post Wednesday.
The Republican congresswoman from Washington and chair of the House Republican Conference is hopeful the presumptive GOP nominee will improve as a candidate.
But that didn't stop her from listing the issues on which she "vehemently" disagrees with Trump.
"Did I cast my ballot with enthusiasm? Not exactly — I’m still getting to know Mr. Trump like so many others," she wrote in a post titled "Why I Voted for Donald Trump."
"We had a positive first meeting last week. Since then, I’ve continued the conversation with his team to better understand how he plans to lead moving forward and unite the country around a forward-looking, conservative policy agenda," she continued.
She said she's "encouraged so far" and is looking forward "to learning more," although she said she has a number of concerns with the Manhattan billionaire's rhetoric.
"Do I have concerns about the comments he made in the past and on the campaign trail this year about women; people with disabilities; and those from different backgrounds? Absolutely — I vehemently disagree with such statements," she wrote.
She added: "They are wrong in a Presidential campaign; in our workplaces; in our homes; and anywhere else. I’ve called him out before, and I won’t be shy if he does it again because he owes it to our party and our country to treat everyone respectfully and to build an inclusive coalition."
AP Photo/Susan Walsh
McMorris Rodgers cast her primary ballot ahead of her state's Tuesday primary. Trump became the presumptive nominee after knocking out Ted Cruz, a Texas senator, and John Kasich, the Ohio governor, following a massive win in the Indiana primary earlier this month.
"Mr. Trump certainly disrupted this unique campaign," she wrote. "It is my hope that his disruption will be positive — not just to win in November, but to radically transform the way government works so it stops making the centralized federal bureaucracy more powerful, and starts serving and empowering people again."
She credited Trump with winning over millions of supporters, calling out Washington, and "talking outside the politically correct box."
"In the months ahead, he will have to earn the Presidency by demonstrating that he has the temperament for the job and plans to empower every American to pursue a future of opportunity and freedom," she wrote.
Earlier this month, after Trump ensured that he would become the presumptive nominee of the party, McMorris Rodgers was initially hesitant about the prospect of the Manhattan billionaire at the top of the GOP ticket in this fall's election.
“Before I endorse him, I would like to have a conversation with him,” the fourth-ranking House Republican told the Spokesman-Review. “I would like to ask him questions about some of the statements he’s made.”
She met with Trump as a part of last week's gatherings between the business mogul and GOP leaders, sparked by House Speaker Paul Ryan's refusal to immediately endorse the billionaire.
Although the meeting was well-received by both parties, Ryan still has yet to endorse Trump.