GOP insiders pressure Trump to steer clear of controversy
NEW YORK (AP) — Weary Republicans are looking for assurances that Donald Trump can maintain the discipline needed to stay on message as he prepares for a bruising general election run-up against Hillary Clinton.
Trump's conciliatory, teleprompter-guided victory speech Tuesday appeared to stave off— at least for the time being — a near-GOP revolt over his racially divisive attacks against the American-born judge of Mexican heritage hearing the case against his now-defunct Trump University.
The judge episode arguably marked the biggest crisis of Trump's campaign to date, and sparked a series of phone calls from concerned Republicans, including House Speaker Paul Ryan, pressing the gravity of the situation.
Since launching his campaign, Trump has pushed back against calls by some of his closest aides and family members to adopt a more "presidential tone."
Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski dismissed the idea of an intervention, and downplayed the significance of the victory speech, noting that Trump has used teleprompters on multiple occasions to deliver specific remarks.
"Pocahontas is at it again!" he Tweeted Friday morning, using his favored nickname for Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who officially endorsed Clinton Thursday evening and met with her Friday, fueling speculation that she's being considered for a running mate.
In addition to giving them more public roles, some campaign aides have been pushing for them to travel more with the candidate, according to a person familiar with the efforts, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak about private discussions.