Ben Carson, the former Republican presidential candidate who is now a surrogate for Donald Trump, is hoping to talk to House Speaker Paul Ryan ahead of a highly anticipated meeting Thursday between the speaker and the presumptive GOP presidential nominee.
Armstrong Williams, a longtime Carson political adviser, reached out to Ryan’s team to request time for the retired neurosurgeon to connect with the speaker, two senior GOP? sources familiar with the discussions said Monday. Nothing has been scheduled yet, and one of these sources told CNN the two could end up having a phone conversation rather than a sit-down meeting.
Ryan’s office declined to discuss any details on a potential conversation between the speaker and Carson.
The meeting was first reported by the Washington Post.
Ryan shocked the political world when he told CNN’s Jake Tapper last week that he wasn’t yet ready to endorse Trump.
The business mogul overwhelmingly won the Indiana primary last week, prompting his two remaining primary rivals — Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich — to drop out of the 2016 race.
Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Preibus, who is also a close friend of Ryan’s, dubbed the billionaire the party’s presumptive nominee. While Ryan said he wanted to work to unite the party, he said he needed more time before formally getting behind Trump.
?Priebus helped broker a meeting between Ryan and Trump, which he will host at the RNC’s Washington headquarters Thursday morning.
Trump is also scheduled to have separate sessions with top House and Senate Republican leaders.
Early Tuesday afternoon, Trump tweeted that he was looking forward to the meeting.
“I look very much forward to meeting w/Paul Ryan & the GOP Party Leadership on Thurs in DC. Together, we will beat the Dems at all levels!” Trump said.