Brownback says he’ll support Trump if he’s GOP nominee for president

Gov. Sam Brownback said Thursday that he would support Donald Trump in the general election if the billionaire emerges with the Republican nomination for president.

“As opposed to Bernie Sanders or Hillary Clinton?” Brownback replied when asked if he would back the real estate mogul in the general election. “I’ll support the Republican nominee over Bernie Sanders or Hillary Clinton.”

Brownback devoted a significant portion of a Thursday news conference to blasting Sanders, the independent senator seeking the Democratic nomination, whom Brownback described as “a socialist from Vermont.” Sanders had criticized Brownback’s economic policies the day before at a rally in Kansas City, Mo.

Despite Trump’s victories in New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada, Brownback thinks U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, the candidate he endorsed earlier this month, will prevail in the race for the Republican nomination.

“He’s a good guy. I think he’s talented,” Brownback said about Rubio. “And I think now as you kind of winnow the field down – a big field favors Trump, so I think the question is how fast does the field winnow down.”

This story was originally published February 25, 2016 at 3:20 PM with the headline "Brownback says he’ll support Trump if he’s GOP nominee for president."