Ending days of suspense, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Saturday endorsed his party's two stalwarts House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senator John McCain for re-election and vowed to make Republicans a "big tent" party as was under ex-president Ronald Reagan.
"In our shared mission to make America great again, I support and endorse our Speaker of the House Paul Ryan. We need unity. We have to win this election. This is truly one of the most important elections in my lifetime," Trump said at an election rally in Ryan's home state of Wisconsin.
Over the past few days, Trump had refused to endorse either Ryan and McCain fuelling speculations that all is not well among the Republicans and the party is not united ahead of the crucial November general elections.
While Ryan is expected to easily sail through his House seat, McCain is facing a tough battle from the Arizona Senate seat.
"While I'm at it, I hold in the highest esteem Senator John McCain for his service to our country in uniform and in public office and I fully support and endorse his re-election," Trump said amidst cheer from supporters.
"This campaign is not about me or any one candidate, it's about America. I understand and embrace the wisdom of Ronald Reagan's big tent within the party," Trump said.
"I need a Republican Senate and a House to accomplish all of the changes that we have to make. So I embrace the wisdom that my 80 per cent friend is not my 20 percent enemy," he said at the election campaign in Green bay in Wisconsin.
"Working hand-in-hand we will grow our majority in the House and in the Senate. Arm-in-arm we will rescue the nation from the Obama-Clinton disaster that has bled our country dry and spread terrorism unabated across the world," Trump said.
Later in a fund raising email to his supporters, Trump alleged that the Democrats and the mainstream media are doing everything they can to divide the Republican party.
"We must rise above their dirty tactics and prove that only the Republican Party is offering the ideas and solutions that can truly fix America," he said.
"It's time to unite our Party and deny a third term of Obama. I have officially endorsed Paul Ryan -- and together, we will fight for you, and together we will Make America Great Again!" Trump said.
