GOP congressman weighs in on 2020 — and it's not at all what the Trump campaign wanted to hear

Rep. Will Hurd (R-Texas) refused to say Thursday if he will support President Donald Trump's bid for the 2020 Republican Party presidential nomination, stoking further speculation that the next Republican National Convention could be even more dramatic than the last.

In 2016, a number of Republicans refused to even attend the RNC in Cleveland, including Ohio Gov. John Kasich. South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, whose state voted overwhelmingly for Trump in the Republican primary, also did not show up. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio did not attend the RNC but did deliver a video message to conventiongoers.

Of course, Trump went on to win the GOP nomination even amid opposition from many within the party. But if you thought that the more moderate Republican opposition was a thing of the past, it appears as though you'll need to think again.

At least one Republican congressman prompted speculation Thursday that, perhaps, he won't support Trump in his 2020 bid for the GOP nod.

“Do you support his renomination in 2020? He’s clearly running. He’s been on the campaign trail this week," MSNBC's Hallie Jackson asked Hurd.

The Texas congressman responded by stating, simply, that “2020 is a really long ways away.”

Jackson followed up her question by asking Hurd if the question should be one that "gets a simple ‘yes’ from a Republican member of Congress?”

"Maybe it should; maybe it shouldn't. But it’s hard for me to ever think past the next election, and the next election I’m worried about is my re-election in 2018," Hurd replied.

Jackson also asked Hurd if he considers Trump to be the leader of the Republican Party. Hurd didn't exactly respond with a ringing endorsement.

"Well, he's the titular head of the Republican Party," Hurd said.

The Texas Republican went on to condemn Trump's "divisive rhetoric," which he said is "not what we should be promoting as an entity, as a body."

Hurd acknowledged, however, that the Republican Party is "much broader than any one individual," including the president himself.

"It's true he has the biggest and loudest microphone. He has the bully pulpit," Hurd said. "But my job is to represent the people in my district and I try to do that in a way that focuses on what unites us and not what divides us."

(H/T: Daily Caller)