Milwaukee Journal Sentinel editorial editor repeated the Sentinel's call for House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) to disavow GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump, explaining that he “must choose his party or his principles.”



The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s editorial board denounced Trump in the August 2 edition of the paper, describing his attacks on the Khan family a “national embarrassment,” and called for Paul Ryan to “stand on principle” and “disavow Donald Trump,” because his “candidacy cannot accommodate both”:

House Speaker Paul Ryan still seems to think he can have it both ways with Donald Trump. But he must choose his party or his principles. The Trump candidacy cannot accommodate both.



[...]



Ryan still believes he can have it both ways with Trump — that he can support Trump and still manage the billionaire’s frequent eruptions of ignorance. He cannot. His principles and Donald Trump's candidacy are simply not compatible. What will it take, Speaker Ryan? If not small-minded contempt for a Gold Star family, then what? How far must Trump go? Stand on principle. Disavow Donald Trump.

Editorial page editor for the Sentinel, David Haynes, discussed the publication with CNN’s Brooke Baldwin on August 3, telling the host that “it’s really time for [Paul Ryan] to say ‘I was wrong’ and to take back that endorsement” of Trump. Haynes stated “we think Trump has crossed many lines, but this final line was his essential denigration of a gold star family, the Khan family.”



Haynes continued, stating “there is a certain baseline that a person has to meet in order to be qualified for the nation’s highest office,” arguing “this would be an unusual move for a House Speaker,” but “maybe it’s time for that unusual move.” From the August 3 edition of CNN’s CNN Newsroom with Brooke Baldwin:  

BROOKE BALDWIN (HOST): Meantime, the headline over the course of the last 24 hours in this interview with the Washington Post, he refused to endorse the top Republican congressman, the Speaker of the House Paul Ryan. And in fact today, Wisconsin hometown paper is calling him out. David Haynes is with me, editorial page editor with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Nice to have you, sir. Welcome.



DAVID HAYNES: Thank you. Good to be with you, Brooke.



BALDWIN: So, you just published a piece calling on Paul Ryan to disavow Trump once and for all, writing quote, “Ryan still believes he can have it both ways with Trump, that he could support Trump and still manage the billionaire's frequent eruptions of ignorance. He cannot.” What exactly are you asking for Paul Ryan to do?



HAYNES: Well, we have a tremendous amount of respect for Paul Ryan. We've disagreed with him on issues from time to time, but it's always been an issue based disagreement. We have a lot of affection for Paul Ryan, but we think that he needs to stand on principles and not party in this case. It's really time for him to say “I was wrong,” and to take back that endorsement. We think Trump has crossed many lines, but this final line was his essential denigration of a gold star family, the Khan family.



BALDWIN: The saying “I was wrong,” or even President Obama saying from the East Room yesterday to leaders like Paul Ryan, you know, “You need to say enough,” -- wouldn't that make him look weak?



HAYNES: Actually -- I think actually it makes him look strong. Paul Ryan has a great deal of respect within the conservative movement and his own party. Polling in Wisconsin and nationwide shows he is still very popular. It certainly isn't going to hurt him in his election in the primary. He has a primary challenge this year, but all polling we've seen shows that he is doing quite well. And what it says is that he is standing up for his own conservative principles, but beyond that, for the idea that there is a certain baseline that a person has to meet in order to be qualified for the nation's highest office.



BALDWIN: And let me -- it is fascinating, also just talking you to you there in Wisconsin, because of Reince Priebus, right?



HAYNES: Correct.



BALDWIN: So, he is in a curious place, the chair of the RNC, but, you know, good, good buddies with Paul Ryan. They go back to -- he chaired his first congressional race, and you know, we know he has been on the phone back and forth with Donald Trump in the last couple of days. What do you think Reince Priebus is thinking right now?



HAYNES: We have heard that Reince Priebus for a number of weeks has been tearing his hair out, because there is very little he can do. I understand Reince Priebus continues to support the candidate. I think he has to. But we think Paul Ryan is in a very different position. It's a very odd election, I understand that, and this would be an unusual move for a House Speaker, to essentially disavow a candidate from his own party. But maybe it's time for that unusual move, at least that's our opinion.