Trump said he’s “never been there” on backing McCain “because I’ve always felt that he should have done a much better job for the vets.” | Getty Trump declines to endorse Ryan or McCain

Donald Trump is “not quite there yet” when it comes to endorsing Paul Ryan, the Republican presidential nominee said Tuesday, echoing the House speaker’s rhetoric before he ultimately endorsed Trump as the GOP nominee earlier this year.

In an interview with The Washington Post on Tuesday, Trump refused to endorse Ryan, who faces a primary challenge against Paul Nehlen in Wisconsin next Tuesday, and Arizona Sen. John McCain, who is squaring off against a tea party-backed doctor and former state senator, Kelli Ward.


“I like Paul, but these are horrible times for our country,” Trump told the Post. “We need very strong leadership. We need very, very strong leadership. And I’m just not quite there yet. I’m not quite there yet.”

Trump’s snub of the Wisconsin Republican — he told the Post that Ryan sought his endorsement — comes a day after he thanked Nehlen via Twitter, blasting out the lesser-known candidate’s handle to his 10.5 million followers.

“Thanks to @pnehlen for your kind words, very much appreciated,” Trump tweeted Monday.

Ryan's campaign spokesman denied that the speaker solicited Trump's backing.

"Neither Speaker Ryan nor anyone on his team has ever asked for Donald Trump's endorsement. And we are confident in a victory next week regardless," the spokesman, Zack Roday, said.

Ryan is expected to trounce Nehlen in next Tuesday's primary.

In a statement blasted out by his campaign after Trump's comments were published, Nehlen accused the House speaker of "working against his party’s nominee and the American people" and said his "repeated betrayals of the GOP nominee is beneath the dignity of the speakers’ office and is morally disqualifying."

Ryan, who has been critical of Trump throughout his campaign, shied away from condemning him by name after he attacked a Gold Star family in response to remarks Khizr Khan made last week at the Democratic National Convention. Nehlen has sided with Trump -- linking Monday to a Breitbart story accusing Ryan of being a “double agent” for defending the Khans.

Trump's non-endorsement of the House speaker mimicked the language Ryan used when he declined to back Trump even after he had vanquished the last of his Republican rivals. “I’m not there right now,” the speaker told CNN in May. A month later, though, Ryan got on board.

Trump said he’s “never been there” on backing McCain “because I’ve always felt that he should have done a much better job for the vets.”

“So I’ve always had a difficult time with John for that reason, because our vets are not being treated properly,” Trump said. “They’re not being treated fairly.”

The real estate mogul also attacked Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.), who has also been critical of his remarks on the Khan family, for not supporting his campaign.

“I don’t know Kelly Ayotte. I know she’s given me no support — zero support — and yet I’m leading her in the polls,” Trump said. “I’m doing very well in New Hampshire. We need loyal people in this country. We need fighters in this country. We don’t need weak people. We have enough of them.”

Trump doubled down in an appearance on Fox News on Tuesday evening.

"I’ve never been a big fan of John McCain and I just hate the way our veterans have been treated by John and other people," Trump said. "I hate it. I look at our veterans, how badly they’ve been treated, the suicides, the tremendously bad treatment.”

As for Ayotte, Trump said, “If she’s not involved with me, I’m just not involved with that. I’m very involved with New Hampshire. I love New Hampshire. I’ve done a lot for New Hampshire. And New Hampshire frankly likes me. I have a nice lead in New Hampshire and she doesn’t."

Ayotte appeared to respond with this tweet, which did not mention Trump by name: "I call it like I see it and I'm always going to stand up for our military families and what's best for the people of New Hampshire."

Jake Sherman contributed.