The President and CEO of The Family Leader says he’s taking a deep breath today, after the announcement by Texas Senator Ted Cruz that he’s suspending his campaign for president.
Bob Vander Plaats endorsed Cruz and was a national co-chair for the campaign, although The Family Leader remained neutral in the race for the Republican nomination. Vander Plaats says he’s keeping an open mind about whether to now endorse Donald Trump, but he first wants the chance to speak with the billionaire.
"There's a lot of things that he's said on the campaign trail and there's a lot of things about his background that quite frankly we don't embrace and we don't support. And so, when we're going to back a leader, especially a leader for President, we want to know what we're getting," VanderPlaats tells River to River host Ben Kieffer.
VanderPlaats says he wants to see who Trump picks for Vice President and learn who he might nominate to the U.S. Supreme Court. He also isn’t ruling out endorsing a third party challenger this fall. During this hour of River to River, VanderPlaats talks with host Ben Kieffer.
Political analysts Tim Hagle, associate professor of political science at the University of Iowa, and Dave Andersen, assistant professor of political science at Iowa State University also join the conversation.
