(Image via Screenshot)
Donald Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) issued a joint statement on Thursday calling their highly-anticipated meeting “a very positive step toward unification.”
"While we were honest about our few differences, we recognize that there are also many important areas of common ground," said Trump and Ryan. "We will be having additional discussions, but remain confident there's a great opportunity to unify our party and win this fall, and we are totally committed to working together to achieve that goal."
"This was our first meeting, but it was a very positive step toward unification," they said.
Read the full statement below:
During his weekly press conference, Ryan declined to endorse Trump.
He said that while he feels "encouraged" by their meeting, it will take time to iron out their policy differences and to come to a consensus regarding the core principles of the Republican Party.
"This is our first meeting,” said Ryan. “I was very encouraged with this meeting, but this is a process. It takes some time. You don't put it together in 45 minutes.”
“The process of unifying the Republican Party – which just finished a primary about a week ago, perhaps one of the most divisive primaries in memory – takes some time,” he explained. “It’s very important that we don’t fake unifying – we don’t pretend unification. That we truly actually unify so we are full strength in the fall.”
“I don’t want us to have a fake unification process here,” Ryan continued. “I want to make sure that we really, truly understand each other and that we are committed to the conservative principles that make the Republican Party, that built this country.”
The House Speaker added that he heard “a lot of great things from our presumptive nominee" but differences remain.
Listen to Ryan's remarks in the video clip below.