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| Donald Trump will reportedly sign pledge not to run as independent | Donald Trump will reportedly sign pledge not to run as independent |
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| Donald Trump has agreed to sign a pledge vowing to support the Republican nominee for the White House in the general election, as a coordinated party effort appears to have staved off an eventual independent run by the real-estate mogul. | |
| Republicans have long feared that if Trump fails to secure the party’s presidential nomination – he was surging as a frontrunner in the latest poll released on Thursday – his upstart campaign could transform into a third-party bid that would spoil the GOP’s chances of retaking the White House in 2016. | Republicans have long feared that if Trump fails to secure the party’s presidential nomination – he was surging as a frontrunner in the latest poll released on Thursday – his upstart campaign could transform into a third-party bid that would spoil the GOP’s chances of retaking the White House in 2016. |
| In an effort to reconcile the potential consequences, the billionaire businessman met with the Republican National Committee chair, Reince Priebus, to discuss the pledge on Thursday afternoon in New York, then held a news conference afterwards about his decision. | |
| Related: Donald Trump and other hopefuls told: sign pledge to run only as a Republican | Related: Donald Trump and other hopefuls told: sign pledge to run only as a Republican |
| The pledge, circulated by the Republican National Committee, read: “I ______ affirm that if I do not win the 2016 Republican nomination for President of the United States I will endorse the Republican nominee regardless of who it is. I further pledge that I will not seek to run as an independent or write-in candidate nor will I seek or accept the nomination for president of any other party.” | |
| In the first Republican presidential debate last month, Trump refused to rule out an eventual third-party run, in response to a question posed at the outset to the party’s 10 leading candidates in the polls. | In the first Republican presidential debate last month, Trump refused to rule out an eventual third-party run, in response to a question posed at the outset to the party’s 10 leading candidates in the polls. |
| Related: Could Donald Trump really run as an independent? | Related: Could Donald Trump really run as an independent? |
| The current Republican frontrunner instead offered a joke, throwing up his hands and saying: “I can totally make that pledge if I am the nominee, I will not run as independent.” Trump went on to insist: “We will win but I want to win as the Republican – I want to run as the Republican nominee.” | The current Republican frontrunner instead offered a joke, throwing up his hands and saying: “I can totally make that pledge if I am the nominee, I will not run as independent.” Trump went on to insist: “We will win but I want to win as the Republican – I want to run as the Republican nominee.” |
| Loyalty pledges have in the past been used to stave off candidates from presidential primary ballots. As recently as 2008, then congressman Dennis Kucinich was kept off the Democratic primary ballot in Texas because he refused to sign a pledge in which he vowed his support for the party’s nominee. | Loyalty pledges have in the past been used to stave off candidates from presidential primary ballots. As recently as 2008, then congressman Dennis Kucinich was kept off the Democratic primary ballot in Texas because he refused to sign a pledge in which he vowed his support for the party’s nominee. |
| Trump’s plan to sign the new pledge was first reported by Politico, citing “a close associate”. The Trump campaign and the RNC did not respond to requests for comment. | Trump’s plan to sign the new pledge was first reported by Politico, citing “a close associate”. The Trump campaign and the RNC did not respond to requests for comment. |
| In signing the pledge, Trump may risk losing some of his appeal as a political outsider removed from partisan politics. But campaign-law scholars said he would not invite any legal blowback should he change his mind. | |
| “I don’t think there are any legal consequences,” University of California, Irvine law professor Rick Hasen told the Guardian after reviewing the Republican party’s pledge. “It’s hard to see this as an enforceable contract.” | “I don’t think there are any legal consequences,” University of California, Irvine law professor Rick Hasen told the Guardian after reviewing the Republican party’s pledge. “It’s hard to see this as an enforceable contract.” |
| Nonetheless, a poll released by Monmouth University on Thursday continued to show Trump with an early lead: he had the support of 30% of Republican primary voters – significantly ahead of his closest rival, former neurosurgeon Ben Carson. The survey also showed Trump viewed favorably by 59% of Republican voters. | Nonetheless, a poll released by Monmouth University on Thursday continued to show Trump with an early lead: he had the support of 30% of Republican primary voters – significantly ahead of his closest rival, former neurosurgeon Ben Carson. The survey also showed Trump viewed favorably by 59% of Republican voters. |
| Should he fizzle and decide to mount a run for the White House as third-party candidate after signing the pledge, some hurdles would remain. | Should he fizzle and decide to mount a run for the White House as third-party candidate after signing the pledge, some hurdles would remain. |
| So-called “sore-loser” laws, which prevent candidates from running independently in a general election after losing the primary, have been upheld in the past by the US supreme court in races for state office. It remained unknown whether such laws would pass constitutional muster in a presidential election. | So-called “sore-loser” laws, which prevent candidates from running independently in a general election after losing the primary, have been upheld in the past by the US supreme court in races for state office. It remained unknown whether such laws would pass constitutional muster in a presidential election. |