• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

As Big Tech showers employees with perks to win the talent war, Nvidia built a nearly $5 trillion company by making people pay for their own lunch

2

Mark Zuckerberg feeds his cows macadamia nuts and beer to create the 'highest-quality beef in the world' on his $300 million estate in Hawaii

3

Current price of oil as of July 2, 2026

1

As Big Tech showers employees with perks to win the talent war, Nvidia built a nearly $5 trillion company by making people pay for their own lunch

2

Mark Zuckerberg feeds his cows macadamia nuts and beer to create the 'highest-quality beef in the world' on his $300 million estate in Hawaii

3

Current price of oil as of July 2, 2026
Leadership

Why Trump’s Decision to Drop His Loyalty Pledge Is No Surprise

By
Dan Friedman
Dan Friedman
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Dan Friedman
Dan Friedman
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 30, 2016, 9:16 AM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

In a notable but hardly surprising move Tuesday, Donald Trump rescinded his pledge to support the Republican presidential nominee if it is not him.

“I don’t anymore,” the Republican frontrunner said during a CNN town hall forum in Milwaukee when moderator Anderson Cooper asked if he stood by the pledge. “No. We’ll see who it is.”

“I have been treated very unfairly,” Trump explained, faulting the Republican National Committee and the GOP establishment.

Trump’s dumping of his vow may have seemed abrupt, but there was plenty of warning.

In September, Trump joined other Republican presidential hopefuls by signing a pledge affirming: “If I do not win the 2016 Republican nomination for President of the United States I will endorse the 2016 Republican presidential nominee regardless of who it is.”

But since then Trump has repeatedly wavered, threatening to bolt the party and run as an independent in response to what he calls GOP efforts to undermine his candidacy.

Indeed, his decision to drop the pledge was more a question of when than if. As Republican leaders have plotted efforts to deny Trump the GOP nomination if he falls short of the 1,237 delegates needed to claim the party mantle outright, party officials have assumed the effort would result in Trump denouncing the process as illegitimate, refusing to back the nominee, and attempting a third party bid.

Trump is not alone in his decision to turn his back on the loyalty pledge. His Republican rivals, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich have also walked back their own vows to support the nominee if it is Trump.

“If the nominee is somebody I think is really hurting the country, and dividing the country, I can’t stand behind them,” Kasich said Tuesday at the town hall.

“I’m not in the habit of supporting someone who attacks my wife and attacks my family,” Cruz said during the town hall prior to Trump’s appearance. Cruz alleged Trump had a role in causing the publication of an unsubstantiated National Enquirer report suggesting Cruz had extramarital affairs.

Cruz said that nominating Trump would hand the election to Hillary Clinton, due to polls showing the Democrat would trounce Trump. Cruz also vowed that he would defeat Trump in the GOP nomination fight.

Trump noted later that “Cruz he was essentially saying” he would not back Trump as the GOP nominee — a reasonable inference.

Cruz “doesn’t have to support me,” Trump added. “I’m not asking for his support. I want the people’s support.”

The celebrity businessman suggested he wanted to save Cruz and other former rivals from the difficulty of supporting the candidate who beat them.

“I don’t want people to do something against their will,” Trump said.

Trump’s renunciation of his pledge came in a town hall event where he repeatedly exhibited the abrasive character that helps explain his conflict with the Republican establishment.

Trump defended his campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, who was arrested Tuesday on misdemeanor battery charges for grabbing and bruising the arm of Michelle Fields, at the time a Breitbart News reporter who was trying to ask Trump a question.

“She’s not a baby,” Trump said, arguing that Fields exaggerated the incident.

Trump’s claims were striking because a video, filmed by his own security cameras and released Tuesday by police in Jupiter, Fla., clearly show Lewandowski grabbing and pulling Fields away from Trump. That action appears to violate a Florida battery law that bars touching or striking another person against their will.

The video also flatly contradicts past claims by Lewandowski and Trump’s campaign that the aide did not touch Fields. Trump also suggested Fields “made up” the incident.

 

 

But Trump gave no ground Tuesday. He attacked Fields, claiming she “grabbed” him, an incorrect description of images that show her hand appearing to brush him as she questioned him. He said he might file charges against her.

“She had a pen in her hand, which Secret Service is not liking because they don’t know what it is,” Trump added. “It could be a little bomb.”

Trump also continued to defend his retweet of an unflattering image of Cruz’s wife Heidi next to a posed shot of Trump’s wife Melania, a former model. Trump claims his action was justified because an anti-Trump super PAC ran an ad in Utah that showed Melania Trump in a seductive pose to suggest she was unfit to be the first lady.

“Look, Trump said. “I didn’t start it.”

“Sir, with all due respect, that’s the argument of a five-year-old,” Cooper replied.

“It is not,” Trump said.

About the Author
By Dan Friedman
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Leadership

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Leadership

Woman sitting in front of her house
SuccessWorld Cup
Airbnb offered $750 to Americans to open up their homes during the World Cup—mostly women took it up and now they’re earning thousands
By Emma BurleighJuly 3, 2026
1 hour ago
Microsoft’s next big bet isn’t on a model but on becoming the Swiss Army knife of enterprise AI
AIMicrosoft
Microsoft’s next big bet isn’t on a model but on becoming the Swiss Army knife of enterprise AI
By Sheryl Estrada and Sebastian HerreraJuly 3, 2026
2 hours ago
z
AIdisruption
Meet the Zillennials: The luckiest micro-generation in the workforce, born between 1993 and 1998
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 3, 2026
3 hours ago
$25 billion CEO says one-hour interviews are a waste of time—he puts candidates through six hours of tests and wants them to order wine at lunch
SuccessThe Interview Playbook
$25 billion CEO says one-hour interviews are a waste of time—he puts candidates through six hours of tests and wants them to order wine at lunch
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJuly 3, 2026
3 hours ago
Most cancer philanthropy funds research. This winery cofounder is paying for the caregivers and chair lifts families can’t afford
Successphilanthropy
Most cancer philanthropy funds research. This winery cofounder is paying for the caregivers and chair lifts families can’t afford
By Sydney LakeJuly 3, 2026
3 hours ago
Nissan CEO Ivan Espinosa was forced to put together a plan to save the Japanese carmaker in just six weeks: ‘I knew what had to be done’ 
AsiaAsia Agenda
Nissan CEO Ivan Espinosa was forced to put together a plan to save the Japanese carmaker in just six weeks: ‘I knew what had to be done’ 
By Andrew StaplesJuly 3, 2026
3 hours ago

Most Popular

As Big Tech showers employees with perks to win the talent war, Nvidia built a nearly $5 trillion company by making people pay for their own lunch
Big Tech
As Big Tech showers employees with perks to win the talent war, Nvidia built a nearly $5 trillion company by making people pay for their own lunch
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJuly 1, 2026
2 days ago
Mark Zuckerberg feeds his cows macadamia nuts and beer to create the 'highest-quality beef in the world' on his $300 million estate in Hawaii
Success
Mark Zuckerberg feeds his cows macadamia nuts and beer to create the 'highest-quality beef in the world' on his $300 million estate in Hawaii
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 2, 2026
17 hours ago
Current price of oil as of July 2, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of July 2, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 2, 2026
21 hours ago
Americans are escaping the U.S. for New Zealand where house prices have hit a new low—but only wealthy Americans with $3 million spare can invest
Success
Americans are escaping the U.S. for New Zealand where house prices have hit a new low—but only wealthy Americans with $3 million spare can invest
By Emma BurleighJuly 2, 2026
19 hours ago
Today, Emily Blunt is worth $80 million thanks to her Hollywood career—but she actually wanted to be a UN Spanish translator on $80K
Success
Today, Emily Blunt is worth $80 million thanks to her Hollywood career—but she actually wanted to be a UN Spanish translator on $80K
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJuly 2, 2026
1 day ago
Egg companies made $1.22 billion in profit off a $6 carton — now they’re buying their way out of a price-fixing case with 53 million donated eggs
Law
Egg companies made $1.22 billion in profit off a $6 carton — now they’re buying their way out of a price-fixing case with 53 million donated eggs
By Wyatte Grantham-Philips and The Associated PressJuly 2, 2026
16 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.