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Republican trio won't commit to backing nominee

Posted at 6:35 AM, Mar 30, 2016
and last updated 2016-03-30 09:12:06-04

WASHINGTON (AP) — Will they or won't they? Mostly, they won't.

The three Republican presidential candidates aren't committing to supporting whomever the party chooses as its standard-bearer in the fall campaign. That could make for a messy and fractured GOP nominating convention in July.

Early in the campaign Donald Trump, Ted Cruz and John Kasich indicated they would support the eventual nominee. The three were asked about that again Tuesday night in town hall appearances in Milwaukee hosted by CNN.

Trump said he was rescinding his promise because "I have been treated very unfairly." He listed the Republican National Committee, the Republican Party and party establishment among those he believes have wronged him. On ABC's "Good Morning America" on Wednesday, Trump said, "I only want the people to support me. ...I will take my chances with the people."

"I'm not in the habit of supporting someone who attacks my wife and children," Cruz said, referring to Trump's jabs at his wife, Heidi. Cruz said if Trump were the nominee that would hand the election to Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Kasich said that "if the nominee is somebody that I think is really hurting the country and dividing the country, I can't stand behind them." But he said he would wait and see how events unfold.

The candidates were in Wisconsin ahead of the state's primary next week.