Source: Politics<\/p>\n
Who is Ryan Binkley?<\/p>\n
While everyone is treating the GOP presidential primary as a one-on-one showdown between Donald Trump and Nikki Haley, Binkley \u2014 a wealthy pastor and businessperson<\/a> \u2014 is still (technically) in it.<\/p>\n If you didn\u2019t realize that, you could be forgiven.<\/p>\n He didn\u2019t come close to qualifying for any of the debates. He finished so far behind in New Hampshire that he was beaten by several candidates who had already dropped out. And outside of Trump mocking Ron DeSantis<\/a> by noting that Binkley was the first candidate to visit all 99 of Iowa\u2019s counties, the rest of the field has ignored him.<\/p>\n But he\u2019s still here \u2014 and he\u2019s leaning into the fact that no one knows<\/a> he\u2019s running for president.<\/p>\n Binkley has been seeking the GOP nomination since April. He\u2019s poured millions of dollars into his bid, though he continues to barely register with voters. His campaign highlight so far is beating former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson in the Iowa caucuses \u2014 in which Binkley received less than 1 percent of the vote.<\/p>\n New Hampshire was worse. Binkley finished with just over 300 votes, coming in behind dropouts Chris Christie, Vivek Ramaswamy and Mike Pence.<\/p>\n The Bink-mentum is going the wrong way. But he says he isn\u2019t going anywhere.<\/p>\n He gets that voters support Trump \u2014 \u201cRepublicans are mad\u201d about the former president\u2019s indictments, Binkley reasoned in an interview with POLITICO. And if he drops out, he says he prefers Trump to Haley, but would back the ultimate nominee.<\/p>\n Binkley says he has teams on the ground in Nevada \u2014 where he\u2019ll be competing against Trump in the party-run caucuses \u2014 and South Carolina.<\/p>\n \u201cI’m not doing it to divide him, hurt him. I’m doing it for our country because I feel led to speak to this country,\u201d Binkley said. \u201cI’m trying to speak words that aren’t just for the Republican Party. \u2026 We haven’t had a president transcend our party or a party, I don’t know, since Ronald Reagan, maybe.\u201d<\/p>\n Is that cross-party appeal achievable in this current political climate?<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m praying,\u201d he responded.<\/p>\n POLITICO spoke with Binkley about his longshot campaign.<\/p>\n This interview has been edited for length and clarity.<\/p>\n The big question is, who is Ryan Binkley? When voters come up to you to ask that, what do you tell them?<\/p>\n I’m not a politician. I am a CEO. I’m a business owner. I am a pastor, a father of five, from ages 13 to 23. And I’m a candidate for president because I feel like our nation’s in trouble, financially and culturally. And I’m in this race because I believe we need an economic revival and a spiritual revival. And I care about our country and I’m speaking into that with everything I can.<\/p>\n Do you feel that’s resonating with people you’re speaking with on the trail?<\/p>\n No, not to the degree I would hope, because America never really looks up until we have to. So if you could have avoided the Great Recession in 2007, would you do anything different, or would you just ride through it? \u2026 At the core of this is deficit spending, which both parties do. It’s not a Republican or Democratic problem. It is an American problem that I’m trying to speak to.<\/p>\n What are you going to do to get this to resonate with more people?<\/p>\n I’m just shouting until enough people want to hear it.<\/p>\n You said you wanted to get a few points in New Hampshire<\/a>, but you ended up getting a lower vote share than Iowa. How are you feeling?<\/p>\n We spent most of our money in Iowa. We really felt like we needed to do well there coming out of the gate, and we did okay. We fought through, we made it past a few people beyond expectations. We had basically less time than we wanted \u2014 and money. And I think New Hampshire turned into just a two-person race really quick with [Haley] and President Trump. It was hard to really get any attention, which is understandable, but I’m gonna go to Nevada next week, and it’s me and President Trump who are qualifying for delegates there.<\/p>\n What’s your path ahead?<\/p>\n I’m in this race because I feel like God spoke to me to speak to America and you about our country and about the things that are missing. And what’s missing is a heart for each other. What’s missing is that we don’t focus on the least in society. What’s lost is that we’re not using wisdom financially.<\/p>\n Do you think the Republican Party is ready for that message?<\/p>\n Well, they haven’t been listening to it. And they’ve shut it out \u2014 in all honesty \u2014 completely. They’ve not wanted me at any events or anything like that.<\/p>\n So what’s success for you in Nevada, knowing that Trump is favored?<\/p>\n Success for me is just doing what I feel like God’s telling me to do.<\/p>\n Is there a percentage you have in mind?<\/p>\n I don’t really look at it that way. Obviously I would love to win some votes. But you know, at the end of the day, I’m gonna go to Nevada. We’re going to speak to the people there.<\/p>\n Do you think that there’s room for a non-Trump candidate this cycle?<\/p>\n It doesn’t appear \u2026 to be so. But at this point, I’m not focused on President Trump. I’m not focused on [Haley]. I’m not focused on anybody else.<\/p>\n Could you outline what would have to happen for you to end your bid?<\/p>\n God would just have to speak to me and tell me to end it. I would have done it anytime He said to. \u2026 But I feel like He’s saying, \u2018Just keep saying this message right now.\u2019<\/p>\n Have you had any \u2018I can’t believe I’m here moments\u2019?<\/p>\n All the time, beginning when we announced. I knew this from the very beginning that this would take miracles from God. … Nothing is a surprise. It’s cost me a lot. There’s a lot of mockery and all that. But I knew that too, going in. \u2026 I’m not even offended by it, honestly.<\/p>\n You’ve poured a good chunk of money into your bid. Do you have a number for how much you plan to invest going forward?<\/p>\n I don’t. We’re not going to be buying a ton of ads in South Carolina, that’s already being bought up. But we’re gonna keep sharing the message as we feel led to, and until I feel led to stop. \u2026 We’re going to start a grassroots movement. If I have to start going to places in urban America and let them know there’s Republicans that care about you, I will speak it out everywhere I can, but it’s not to divide our party or speak disparagingly about anybody.<\/p>\n What do you think your candidacy says about the nominating process?<\/p>\n I think history will only be able to tell that, if it has any impact on it at all. I hope it does, and I believe it will. And only God knows.<\/p>\n A version of this story first appeared in POLITICO Pro\u2019s Morning Score newsletter. Sign up for POLITICO Pro<\/a>.<\/p>\n