Milwaukee, WI (WTAQ) – Most Republican politicians won’t tell you how they really feel about their party’s front-runner for president, Donald Trump.
Reid Ribble isn’t one of them.
The Wisconsin congressman is quoted in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel saying Trump behaves like a “sixth-grader.” and says Trump appeals to “the worst parts of who we are as people.”
And Ribble says he won’t support Trump even if he is his party’s nominee.
“I am not obligated to support a bad candidate from any party,” says Ribble, a third-term lawmaker whose blue-collar, Republican-leaning U.S. House seat is anchored by the city of Green Bay. “I will not support Donald Trump for president of the United States, no matter what the circumstances.”
That public and categorical rejection of Trump sets Ribble apart from most high-profile GOP officials, who are hoping Trump fades but who fear that attacking him will alienate his supporters and boost his anti-establishment appeal.
“There’s a natural concern, particularly among members of the party in leadership roles: You want to be cautious about stating opinions about Mr. Trump without making statements about Mr. Trump’s supporters,” says Ribble. “I don’t want to offend anyone that’s supporting Mr. Trump. They’ve got their own reasons for supporting him. I’ve got my reasons for not.”
Ribble’s public disdain for Trump isn’t new. He told USA Today in September, “We actually need a grown-up, not a 3-year-old, in the White House.”
