Former Sen. Tom Coburn has put to rest rumors that he would be willing to challenge Donald Trump for the Republican presidential nomination and said he would vote for him in the general election,
The Hill reports.
"That isn't going to happen, Coburn said when asked about a report Tuesday that he would accept a successful petition to nominate him instead of Trump. "It's not anything to speculate on."
Coburn, who was regarded as one of the most principled conservatives in Congress during his six years in the House and 10 years in the Senate before retiring last year, also said he would vote for Trump in the interests of the country.
"I have concerns for the country for both nominees. Given the choice, I'll vote for Trump."
Oklahoma's News9 reported that Coburn was open to the nomination for president after resisting past attempts. He called Trump a fraud earlier this year since his policies do not always adhere to conservative ideology.
Coburn had been heavily courted as an alternative to Trump by conservative activists and rumors swept the Republican National Convention floor in Cleveland of a last-gasp attempt to take the nomination away from the real estate mogul even after the Never Trump movement's unsuccessful bid Monday to unbind delegates.
But the former Oklahoma senator squashed the speculation, although he refused to say why he turned down the proposal.
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