Presidential races

Trump’s talking points: Unified GOP will ‘win big’

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The Donald Trump campaign is advising its Capitol Hill surrogates to talk up the benefits of a unified GOP in the lead-up to the presumptive presidential nominee’s meeting with Speaker Paul Ryan (Wis.) and other Republican leaders.

{mosads}A memo provided to The Hill by one Trump surrogate lays out talking points emphasizing that the campaign is seeking to unify the party.

The memo, which was sent out Wednesday, says that the daily goal for surrogates is to express that a “unified GOP will beat the Democrats at all levels.”

“With big victories in the uncontested primaries of West Virginia and Nebraska, DT [Donald Trump] is moving closer to the formal end of the Republican primaries. But DT is still campaigning for every single vote,” one talking point reads.

The memo shows that the campaign is hoping to dispel any notions of a rift in the party.

“More Republican leaders are endorsing [Trump] every day, including important donors and elected officials like Stanley Hubbard and Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts,” the memo reads.

Another talking point says, “Our campaign is pleased by the support DT has gained just one week after the sudden end of this primary and we expect that pace to pick up.”

Ryan said last week that he is “not ready” to throw his support behind Trump, and former candidates like Jeb Bush and Sen. Lindsey Graham have said that they will not vote for Trump in the general election.

The memo advises surrogates to highlight Republicans who have backed Trump and note that he has broad support among GOP voters.

Trump “seeks Republican unity, not unanimity,” reads one of the talking points. “There is a small group of Republicans who won’t support his candidacy and we are confident we will win without them.”

The memo adds that Trump “will continue to campaign on the issues that matter to Republican voters — trade, jobs, economics, immigration, and national security. This helps grow and unite our party.”

Also included in the memo are talking points blasting Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton for her campaign tactics.

“History proves Hillary Clinton is only capable of running an ‘ugly race,’ ” the memo reads. “She only knows how to run a negative campaign.”

Clinton ran a dirty campaign in 2008, the memo argues, by throwing the “kitchen sink” at then-Sen. Barack Obama. It cites a remark from Democratic strategist David Plouffe, calling her campaign out for its “disturbing pattern” of ugly tactics.

“The Trump campaign expects [Clinton] to run yet another ugly general election campaign and we are ready to fight her nasty tactics at every level,” the memo continues.

Scott Wong contributed.

Tags Barack Obama Donald Trump Hillary Clinton Lindsey Graham Paul Ryan

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