One predicts the party membership will eventually come around, while the another suggests his candidate can win without establishment support. But two local Republican congressmen are urging their GOP peers to end their reluctance and get behind the party's presumed presidential nominee, Donald Trump.
House Speaker Paul Ryan and presidential candidate Donald Trump are scheduled to meet later this week, days after Ryan balked at endorsing the last-remaining Republican hopeful. Congressman Chris Collins, who is a leading Trump supporter on Capitol Hill, is disappointed that the Republican party is not united behind the candidate.
But Collins also believes Trump has gained strong enough support from frustrated voters to help carry him to victory in November, with or without the party establishment's backing.
"Would it be nice if everyone is united? Of course it would be," Collins said Monday. "But Donald Trump is going to be our next president. He's got support that crosses boundaries.
"I'm just disappointed in some of my fellow members who are trying to wish this wasn't happening. Well, it's happened and if they've got to make lemonade out of lemons, then make lemonade out of lemons."
Congressman Tom Reed, during his weekly media conference call, also urged Republican leaders to unite behind Trump, the last-standing GOP candidate in the presidential primaries. He believes his party peers will eventually come together.
Reed suggested during his conference call that the party cannot afford to remain divided.
"The stakes are so high this election," Reed said. "Not just the presidency and the White House, but also with the Supreme Court."
In Reed's opinion, a win by either Democratic candidate, Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders, would be a negative direction for the nation. Collins, meanwhile, pointed out that the Republican Party isn't the only one with divisions among the ranks and voters fed up with the establishment.
"The public is speaking. In fact, when you think about Bernie Sanders' popularity, he's beating Hillary (Clinton) at every turn," Collins said. "Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump both represent an anti-establishment of the Democrat and the Republican parties. This isn't unique to the Republicans."
Collins predicts Trump will emerge the successful anti-establishment candidate and win Erie County this November with about 65 percent of the votes.
