Priebus says he's having fun, not getting drunk in morning
Republican Party officials are not conspiring against Donald Trump, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus said in an interview released Wednesday.
Moreover, the GOP leader insists that he is having "fun" overseeing the party's chaotic primary, and is not drinking heavily as a result of his job.
Speaking to CNN, Priebus was asked if the party officials are working against the GOP front-runner.
"Of course not. That's insanity," Priebus said.
Asked if there's a plan among party leaders to steal the nomination from Trump, Priebus said, "No, there's nothing to steal."
Priebus said he's going to be "at peace" with whomever wins the GOP nomination because he said he's confident that person would defeat Hillary Clinton in November's general election.
He also weighed in on speculation that he would try to convince Speaker Paul Ryan -- who has categorically ruled out a presidential bid or accepting the nomination -- to be the "white knight" candidate in a contested convention.
"He would kill me. And I wouldn't do it," Priebus. said. "And I agree with him. You have to want to actually be President of the United States. He doesn't want to be right now and he's not going to have a floor operation to get it done. It won't happen."
Later in the interview, Priebus said that serving in his current leadership role as his party faces internal warfare is enjoyable and not causing him to drink in the morning.
"I'm not pouring Bailey's in my cereal," he said. "I'm not sitting here trying to find the Johnnie Walker. I mean this is fun."
In recent days, Priebus has engaged in a passive-aggressive exchange with Trump over party rules that guide the delegate selection process. Trump has complained that it's a "rigged system" but Priebus has argued that the rules have been known for a while.
The pair recently met privately in Washington to discuss the convention, delegate process and the idea that Republicans have been "unfair."
Meanwhile, Priebus spoke to House Republicans behind closed doors on Capitol Hill Tuesday to reassure them about the rules governing the Republican National Convention in Cleveland this July.
On Tuesday night, Trump won New York in a landslide against Ted Cruz and John Kasich, expanding his delegate lead to 844. Cruz trails behind with 554 delegates and Kasich has picked up only 147, while 1,237 are needed to secure the nomination.
