I have an obligation to not engage in the primary,” Lee said.
Tennessee Republican Governor Bill Lee, the current chair of the Republican Governors Association, said he will support the eventual GOP nominee for president — but avoided officially backing former President Donald Trump.
Lee was asked about Trump during POLITICO’s Governor’s Summit. He said he’ll will be “wholeheartedly supportive of the Republican nominee” once one is picked but wouldn’t commit to either Trump or former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who is trailing the former president in most polls.
“For me, as the chairman of the Republican governors, I've said from the beginning, and I think it's important: I have an obligation to not engage in the primary,” Lee said. “We have a lot of members. We have a lot of interests, folks from all across the state and our focus really is not on the presidential race.”
Lee also avoided addressing the age concern that many voters have about both Trump, 77, and President Joe Biden, 81. While sidestepping his own opinion on the issue, Lee said voters will pick the nominees.
“The voters decided who our nominees are going to be,” Lee said. “The people that will decide, they care and decide to go out and vote to choose their candidates, we leave it to the people in this country to decide and we can say what we will about that.”
