Donald Trump and Paul Ryan deliver unity message after much-hyped meeting

House Speaker Paul Ryan and presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump expressed hope on Thursday that their fractured party could come together before the general election.

The two GOP leaders released a joint statement after a highly anticipated meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington. They argued that the United States cannot afford to have Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton win the White House and continue President Obama’s policies.

“That is why it’s critical that Republicans unite around our shared principles, advance a conservative agenda, and do all we can to win this fall,” Ryan and Trump said in the joint statement. “With that focus, we had a great conversation this morning. While we were honest about our few differences, we recognize that there are also many important areas of common ground.”

Donald Trump and Paul Ryan met Thursday morning to discuss unifying the GOP. (Photos: Jim Lo Scalzo, Jim Bourg/Reuters)

Last week, Ryan made headlines when he revealed that he was “just not ready” to endorse Trump’s candidacy after one of the most grueling presidential primaries in recent memory. Ryan has sometimes been critical of Trump, such as when he condemned the developer’s proposal to bar Muslims from entering the United States. Trump responded by saying he wasn’t ready to support Ryan’s agenda either.

The Thursday meeting was treated as a major campaign event by cable news, with a massive amount of reporters staked outside the Republican National Committee headquarters, where it was held. MSNBC even had a countdown clock leading up to the event.

Ryan still wasn’t ready to endorse Trump after their meeting, and they said they will have additional conversations. But they also said they remain optimistic that the Republican Party can unite and win back the White House this fall. They describe themselves as “totally committed to working together” toward this goal.

“We are extremely proud of the fact that many millions of new voters have entered the primary system, far more than ever before in the Republican Party’s history,” they said. “This was our first meeting, but it was a very positive step toward unification.”

Protesters at Republican National Committee headquarters in Washington as Trump meets with Ryan. (Photo: Andrew Harnik/AP)

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Shortly after the meeting adjourned, House Republican Conference Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., released a similar statement saying the meeting was an important first step toward building a coalition of voters to defeat Clinton.

McMorris Rodgers said she contributes a distinctive point of view as a successful woman who has a son with disabilities. Trump has been criticized for mocking a disabled reporter and for his past statements about women’s appearances.

“As the highest-ranking Republican woman in Congress, the mother of a son with Down syndrome, and a friend to people from all walks of life, I offer a unique perspective,” she wrote. “Today was my first opportunity to discuss and impress upon the presumptive nominee the importance of championing a core value of the Republican Party: dreaming big for everyone and turning its back on no one.“

Ryan addressed the press after finishing his discussion with Trump. He told reporters that he and the candidate have taken only the first steps toward unification, and their future meetings will go “a little deeper into the policy weeds.”

Ryan also described Trump’s success in the primary as “unparalleled.”

“He has gotten more votes than any Republican primary nominee … in the history of our country. And this isn’t even over yet. He hasn’t even gone to, like, California yet, so it’s really a remarkable achievement,” he said.

Ryan said the question is how other Republicans can help to keep Trump’s movement growing.

Protesters outside the Republican National Committee headquarters on Thursday. (Photo: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

“To me, that means a positive vision based on core principles, taking those principles, applying them to the problems facing the country today and offering people positive solutions,” he continued. “And speaking to people where they are in life, addressing their anxieties and show[ing] that we have a better plan.”

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus had been urging members of his party to unite behind Trump since last week, after Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz suspended their campaigns and left Trump without any primary foes. And after Thursday’s meeting, Priebus continued to push his message of unity.

“The meeting was great. It was a very positive step toward party unity,” he tweeted.

Ryan has also used the Trump campaign, which is at the center of an intense media spotlight, to call attention to unrelated matters in the House of Representatives. At a press conference on Wednesday, he argued that the media should be focused on legislation aiming to combat the country’s ongoing opioid epidemic.

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