WATCH: GOP Senator Waffles as George Stephanopoulos Presses Him on Whether He’s ‘Prepared to Support’ Trump
A Republican senator waffled while being grilled by ABC’s George Stephanopoulos about the prospect of supporting former President Donald Trump.
In a testy exchange on Sunday’s This Week, Stephanopoulos pressed Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) about backing Trump in spite of the 91 felony charges against him.
“Your party’s leading candidate for president was on the stump yesterday repeating lies about the 2020 election,” Stephanopoulos said. “He’s called those convicted in the January 6th insurrection hostages. He faces 91 separate felony counts himself. He’s raised the prospect of executing the former chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and terminating parts of the Constitution. In the face of all that and more, are you prepared to support Donald Trump if he’s your party’s nominee?”
“We haven’t had a single vote yet, George,” Lankford said. “This is still weeks and weeks away from our first votes are happening actually in Iowa. They’re not in New Hampshire and South Carolina. And there are a lot of people going to make that decision. That’s not going to be me making that decision. That’s going to be the American people that actually make that decision.”
Having gotten a non-answer, the ABC anchor pressed.
“That’s going to be Republican primary voters,” Stephanopoulos said. “You’re a Republican senator and I’m asking for your opinion. Given that record of Donald Trump, are you prepared to support him if he’s the nominee of your party?”
Lankford waffled a second time.
“I have not actually endorsed anyone for president at this time,” he said. “And I didn’t during the 2016 time period either. And so I’ve stayed out of this. Again, that’s going to be Republican voters and the American people that are going to make that decision in the primary. And then in November, it will be American voters as well.”
Stephanopoulos tried once more.
“But I’m asking what your decision is,” Stephanopoulos said. “You’re an elected official. You’re a Republican Party official. I’m asking, can you support Donald Trump as the nominee, given his record?”
Finally, Lankford committed — saying that a rematch between President Joe Biden and Trump is “not a hard choice.”
“Even if Donald Trump is convicted in one of these trials?” Stephanopoulos said.
“We have a long way to go in that George,” Lankford replied. I know you’re trying to jump ahead through a lot of different things here. I understand that everyone is innocent until proven guilty in this process. We’ve got to be able to go through a lot of things.”
Watch above, via ABC.
