US House speaker Paul Ryan blasts Trump for riot comments
The Speaker of the US House of Representatives has sharply condemned Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump for predicting riots if he is denied the party's nomination for president.
"Nobody should say such things in my opinion because to even address or hint at violence is unacceptable," said Paul Ryan, a Republican who represents Wisconsin’s 1st congressional district.
Ryan has previously criticized the billionaire businessman's proposal to ban Muslims and his failure to denounce the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) white supremacist group.
Trump warned Wednesday that if he is not “automatically” nominated by the Republican Party, his supporters would start a riot.
He told CNN that if he was to attend the July convention with more delegates than any others’ and still lose the nomination, “I think you’d have riots.”
The billionaire businessman is notorious for offensive remarks against Muslims and other minorities in America.
Ryan, who was the 2012 Republican vice president nominee acknowledged that an GOP convention to select the Republican party's presidential nominee is "more likely" now.
Ryan stood by his commitment that he won't endorse any presidential candidate because of his position at the convention.
Ryan declined to comment on efforts by those Republicans in the "Never Trump" camp to form a third party to challenge Trump in the November general presidential election.
Some Republican leaders, including former House Speaker John Boehner, are considering Ryan as an alternative nominee to Trump, but again on Thursday he said he had no interest in the position.
"I saw Boehner last night and told him to 'knock it off,'" Ryan said, and added, "it's not going to be me. It should be someone running for president. I made a decision over a year ago not to run for president."
US intensifies security measures amid anticipated post-election unrest
Russia rejects 'baseless' US claims of producing fake vote videos
Ex-detainee held at Guantánamo Bay for two decades dies in Pakistan
Israeli forces kill 7 more Palestinians in West Bank
Israel’s Netanyahu dismisses military affairs minister Gallant
Hezbollah attacks turn Israel’s Haifa into a ghost town
Iran’s FM meets Pakistani PM, discusses bilateral ties, Israeli atrocities
Iran ramps up gasoline output amid rising demand
UK foreign secretary under pressure over denial of genocide in Gaza
VIDEO | Press TV's news headlines
Hezbollah bombards explosives factory in occupied territories
PressTV NEWSLETTER
now
This makes it easy to access the Press TV website
