Trump Signs the Pledge

Donald Trump has agreed to support the Republican nominee if it is not him.

That was the first question asked of the leading Republican candidate by Fox moderators at the Aug. 6 presidential debate. Trump was not ready then to sign the pledge. But he did so Thursday (Sept. 3) following a discussion with RNC chief Reince Priebus.

Trump said that what had changed since that debate was that the RNC had treated him with "great respect," and that he had since gone to the number one Republican in the polls.

"I will be totally pledging my allegiance to the Republican party and the conservative principles for which it stands," Trump said at a rally. "We will fight hard and we will win."

The pledge is not binding, but it does provide the Republican party with some assurance Trump won't make an independent run if he does not get the nomination. ""I see no circumstances under which I would tear up that pledge." he said.

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.