As Donald Trump all but solidified his Republican presidential nomination in Indiana Tuesday, the #NeverTrump movement was forced to come to terms with a harsh reality: that Democrat Hillary Clinton may be the only way to stop Trump.
Since the chair of the Republican National Committee, Reince Priebus, called Trump the "presumptive GOP nominee," some key Republican figures have made it clear they are not voting for Trump — ever.
Among others, Republican Sen. John McCain's top aide, Mark Salter, told MSNBC that Clinton is "the more conservative choice and the least reckless one," taking to Twitter to make his allegiances more clear:
the GOP is going to nominate for President a guy who reads the National Enquirer and thinks it's on the level. I'm with her.
— Mark Salter (@MarkSalter55) May 3, 2016
Tony Fratto, the deputy press secretary under former President George W. Bush, tweeted that he too was "never ever ever ever ever" going to vote for Trump:
For the thick-headed: #NeverTrump means never ever ever ever ever under any circumstances as long as I have breath never Trump. Get it?
— Tony Fratto (@TonyFratto) May 3, 2016
RedState blog's editor Ben Howe tweeted, "I am no longer a Republican," clarifying whom he would be voting for in November:
— Ben Howe (@BenHowe) May 3, 2016
And Philip Klein, the managing editor of the conservative newspaper the Washington Examiner, said he had "officially de-registered" from the Republican Party.
I have officially de-registered as a Republican. pic.twitter.com/DjRI21Oyvx
— Philip Klein (@philipaklein) May 4, 2016
Priebus, on CNN's New Day, said he knows it "will take some time" until the Republican Party will be able to rally around Trump.
But early polling in late February from Rasmussen Reports found that 60 percent of Republicans said they would vote for Trump if he were the nominee. In April, Washington Post/ABC polls found 56 percent of Republicans supported Trump.
So when Trump says he is unifying the Republican Party, he is not too far off the mark: most Republicans say they could vote for Trump, and, more so, most Republicans really dislike Clinton.