Donald Trump is refusing to endorse two prominent congressional Republicans in their upcoming primaries—even after both have endorsed him. According to an interview with Washington Post, the GOP nominee says he's "not quite there yet" in endorsing House speaker and Wisconsin congressman Paul Ryan, who is receiving a primary challenge from a local businessman. Trump is also not endorsing John McCain, the Republican senator and 2008 presidential nominee.

Here's more from the Post:

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is refusing to back House Speaker Paul D. Ryan in his upcoming primary election, saying in an interview Tuesday that he is "not quite there yet" in endorsing his party's top-ranking elected official. Trump also said he was not supporting Sen. John McCain in his primary in Arizona, and he singled out Sen. Kelly Ayotte as a weak and disloyal leader in New Hampshire, a state whose presidential primary Trump won handily. With Ryan's Wisconsin primary scheduled for next Tuesday, Trump praised the House speaker's underdog opponent, Paul Nehlen, for running "a very good campaign." Trump said that Ryan has sought his endorsement, but that as of now he is only "giving it very serious consideration." "I like Paul, but these are horrible times for our country," Trump said. "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."


Ryan used very similar language back in May to Trump's, when the 2012 vice-presidential nominee stated he was "not ready" and "not there right now" on endorsing Trump after the New York businessman had effectively clinched the nomination. Ryan endorsed Trump for president less than a month later, and has since criticized the GOP nominee for making a "textbook definition of a racist statement" and for Trump's proposed Muslim travel ban.

On Monday night, Trump sent a tweet thanking Ryan's primary opponent:


McCain, meanwhile, has been critical of Trump since the real-estate mogul entered the presidential race last fall, most recently over Trump's criticism of the parents of a fallen Muslim-American soldier—the parents had spoken out against his candidacy at the Democratic National Convention.

Update: A spokesman for Ryan's reelection campaign, Zack Roday, responds with a statement: "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."