Story highlights Former vice president Dan Quayle is calling for the GOP to unite

"The party has to unite around him," Quayle said

Washington (CNN) Former Vice President Dan Quayle is calling for the GOP to unite behind Donald Trump, even as prominent Republicans on past presidential tickets distance themselves from the party nominee.

"The party has to unite around him," Quayle told CNN's Jamie Gangel in an interview airing Thursday, predicting nevertheless that "holdouts" would remain. "But by and large, I think the party will rally around him."

Quayle served under President George H.W. Bush, who is not planning to attend the Republican convention that is expected to nominate Trump this summer. Several other prominent Republican standard-bearers, like Mitt Romney and former President George W. Bush, are not endorsing Trump either and are skipping the Cleveland convention.

Yet Quayle is more enthusiastic. The former vice president acknowledged that Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton has advantages, but said after many underestimated Trump during the primary season it's clear he would find a way win the general election.

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