MTP: TRUMP: “I GOT BLINDSIDED” BY SPEAKER RYAN

MAY 7, 2016 – Presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump told “Meet the Press” moderator Chuck Todd that he was “blindsided” by House Speaker Paul Ryan’s comments on Thursday that he was not ready to support Trump.

“Yeah, I was blindsided a little bit, because he spoke to me three weeks ago, and it was a very nice call, a very encouraging call,” said Trump. “He called me, I think, to congratulate me about New York, ’cause I won by massive numbers.”

A transcript of this interview excerpt is below and available to watch here: http://nbcnews.to/1Yf9LHf.

Tune in to “Meet the Press” tomorrow for more from Donald Trump and for an interview with Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.).

Excerpts of the interview may be used subject to the following restrictions:

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MANDATORY CREDIT: NBC NEWS’ “MEET THE PRESS” / CHUCK TODD

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CHUCK TODD:

And so your case to Paul Ryan is, “Hey, the voters have decided. Get on board.”

DONALD TRUMP:

Well, I would say that’s true. I mean, to be honest. I like Paul Ryan. I think he’s a very good guy. He called me three weeks ago, and he was so supportive. It was amazing. And I never thought a thing like this. I got blindsided by this–

CHUCK TODD:

So you’re stunned. You feel blindsided by him?

DONALD TRUMP:

No, I would say stunned is a little bit– it’s politics. I’m never stunned by anything that happens in politics. Yeah, I was blindsided a little bit, because he spoke to me three weeks ago, and it was a very nice call, a very encouraging call. I was doing well. He called me, I think, to congratulate me about New York, ’cause I won by massive numbers. I won everything. And then the next week, I won the five states in a row by all landslide numbers.

And he called me to congratulate me. Couldn’t have been nicer. And again, I have a nice relationship with him. Don’t know him well. Met him one time. But have a nice relationship with him. And then all of a sudden, he gets on and he does this number. So I’m not exactly sure what he has in mind. But that’s okay.

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