PLAYBOOK LIVE Priebus on Trump: 'He's trying' The RNC head, speaking at a POLITICO Playbook breakfast, also doesn't rule out fourth term.

Reince Priebus is a man under siege. He has a presumptive nominee who has scorched the earth. He has a House speaker so far refusing to accept the GOP’s new standard-bearer. And he has knee-knocking candidates across the country worried their party is being driven off a cliff.

But the head of the Republican National Committee thinks everyone just needs to chill out.

Donald Trump’s wrangler-in-chief sat down with POLITICO’s Mike Allen on Friday morning and delivered a downright mellow account of the numerous challenges before him and expressed confidence that Republican Party will be able to heal and unify.

He said that it is "highly, highly doubtful" that someone other than Trump will be the GOP's nominee, while acknowledging that anything’s possible this election cycle.

He predicted that he will play a pivotal role in brokering the peace between Trump and Paul Ryan, who dropped a stunning statement on Thursday, saying he could not yet support the real estate mogul for president. “My view is just relax and be gracious and I’ll talk to Paul and we’ll try to work on this,” Priebus said he told Trump.

Priebus also said Trump’s latest stunt — a tweeted picture of him gleefully about to tuck into a taco bowl while stating “I love Hispanics!” — wasn’t a big deal. “He’s trying,” Priebus said.

But there was an undertone of resignation in Priebus’ answers and a recognition that these are the cards he’s been dealt, and he’s got to make the best of it.

Priebus repeatedly stated that it’s just been three days since Trump became the presumptive nominee, and that it’s going to take time for Republicans to absorb the new reality that the real estate mogul who has spent months ripping apart the party is ready to become its responsible leader.

At the top of Priebus’ agenda is a détente between Trump and Ryan.

Priebus said he spoke with Trump and Ryan “multiple times” Thursday afternoon, confirming that Trump called him within minutes of Ryan going on CNN to say he is not yet ready to commit.

Trump’s attitude during that call was along the lines of “what do I need to do” to get Ryan to support me, Priebus said.

“I said, listen let me just, my view is just relax and be gracious and I’ll talk to Paul and we’ll try to work on this,” the chairman recounted, commenting that he does not get “overly hot” in situations like these.

Adding that he knows fellow Wisconsite Ryan “really well,” Priebus said he knows the speaker is “being honest and I know how he feels.”

“And so I'm comfortable with the idea that it is going to take some time in some cases for people to work through differences,” he said. “We talked about it and talked about it multiple times and they're very comfortable with sitting down with Donald Trump, and it may be at my office, it may be somewhere else but we're going to have that meeting to start the process of unifying.”

Trump suggested in an interview with “Fox & Friends” that meeting could come next Wednesday.

Ryan’s gambit appeared to be a desire to provide cover for the many Republican lawmakers who do not want to be pinned down with a yes-or-no answer to the question of whether they will support Trump as their nominee.

As far as the question of whether someone other than Trump could prevail at the Republican National Convention in July, Priebus said the chances are very, very slim.

“My personal view is it’s highly, highly doubtful," the chairman responded. "As I've said before, the Rules Committee of 2016 writes the rules for the convention. I don’t write the rules. And in fact, the RNC’s role at the convention is fairly limited. And I know that we’ve been through this now for months together, walking through our rules, but the RNC is basically a caretaker, an administrator of a convention.”

"So I'm hearing you saying it's unlikely but not impossible," Allen responded.

Priebus remarked, “Well nothing’s impossible, but like I said, I’ve said this many times, highly and I’d add another one—highly unlikely.”

Trump understands that the party has to unify wide blocs of voters behind it in order to win in November, Priebus said, even as the Manhattan billionaire faces social-media blowback for celebrating Cinco de Mayo with the taco photo.



“He’s trying, and honestly, he’s trying and I will tell you what, I honestly think he understands that building and unifying and growing the party is the only way we’re going to win," Priebus said. "And I think he gets that.”



In terms of states that Trump could win in November that Mitt Romney lost in 2012, Priebus pointed to the swing states of Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida, as well as Iowa and potentially Michigan and Minnesota.

“I think this is going to be a really close election," the chairman predicted, adding that of course, he expected to win. “I won’t put a percentage on it, but I think he will win."

And if Priebus' reading of Trump is correct, Hillary Clinton is in for a bumpy ride.

"I think she’s got a lot to answer for, and I think if there’s one person that knows how to bring all of that out in a way that people can understand, it’s Donald Trump. And he’s gonna do it, too," Priebus said. "He’s gonna bring it all out. And unfortunately for Hillary Clinton, it’s not going to be very comfortable, because she’s got a lot to answer for.”

Priebus also suggested that Trump would pivot into general election mode but that it might take some time, remarking that in private, the candidate is "far more gracious and personable than I think you see at rallies."

"I have never had a problem behind the scenes. I have never had a situation where something was said by him that wasn’t followed through," Priebus said. "So, all of my interaction has been extremely positive, which made the, you know, 'system rigged' stuff so out of place for me, compared to what was being said personally behind the scenes.”

Asked if that bothered him, Priebus demurred.

“Well I think he’s said it himself that there’s going to be a time to shift to general election mode, and I think that’s the way he sees it," the chairman said. Later in the discussion, Priebus said he did not think Trump believes the system to be rigged anymore.

“I doubt it. Maybe he does," Priebus conceded. Trump himself has indicated in public interviews that even as the presumptive nominee, his stance on the nominations processes in either party has not changed.

Asked if he has needled Trump about it, Priebus said he did. As far as Trump's response? "He laughed."

At the same time, Priebus acknowledged a position where he himself has disagreed with Trump in the past, on temporarily banning the entry of Muslims to the United States.

Referring to his previous statement that the Republican Party should be an "open door," Priebus said he would try to persuade Trump to communicate that message instead in the general election.

“Yeah and I think he believes that," he added. "But I am going to work very hard on making sure that some of these issues are discussed and talked about and understood, and I’m confident that given my experience so far with him that he is going to have an open mind to some of these issues.”

He rejected the notion that Trump's campaign would assume a firm grip over the convention process, saying people on the candidate's team have shown "no indication" of seeking control of the party. “100 percent, and there was never any doubt," Priebus added, suggesting that the party would have greater control over the process in future election cycles. While acknowledging issues with the Federal Election Commission's regulations, Priebus also expressed a desire for the GOP to own the rights to the nomination process.

"One day that's gonna happen. Both parties are gonna own the rights, and they will have media outlets hook in, just like the NFL does," he said.

Priebus also showed his diplomatic streak regarding the overall ownership of the GOP. When Allen asked Priebus if the Republican Party is now Trump's party, Priebus was firm: "It's the party's party."

And as far as his own future, Priebus said he wouldn't rule out a fourth term as RNC chair. "I’m not 100 percent absolutely certain that I wouldn’t rule out a fourth term, but I think it’s, probably not, but I haven’t decided," he said.

