Top Republican leader Ryan says he would step down as convention chair if Trump asks

WASHINGTON, May 9 (Xinhua) -- U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan said on Monday he would step down as chairman of Republican National Convention in July if asked by GOP presumptive presidential nominee Donald Trump, said local media.

"He's the nominee. I'll do whatever he wants with respect to the convention," said Ryan in an interview with Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, a local media in his home state Wisconsin.

The remarks came days after Ryan, the highest-ranking GOP officeholder, declined to endorse Trump at the moment, adding that the presumptive standard-bearer should do more to unify the party.

"I think conservatives want to know: Does he share our values and our principles on limited government, the proper role of the executive, adherence to the Constitution," said Ryan last week in an interview with CNN.

As the chairman of the GOP National Convention, Ryan had previously said that he would work with any GOP presidential candidate, and he would support his party's nominee.

Trump soon fired back, saying in a statement that he was "not ready to support Speaker Ryan's agenda."

Trump and Ryan are set to meet privately on Thursday this week, and Ryan on Monday stressed that his reservation about Trump's presumptive nominee status was only for now.

"I never said never. I just said (not) at this point. I wish I had more time to get to know him before this happened. We just didn't," said Ryan to Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.