The war between Donald Trump and Speaker of the House Paul Ryan intensified yesterday when Trump claimed that Ryan's refusal to back him blindsided the candidate.

CNN:

"Yeah, I was blindsided a little bit, because he spoke to me three weeks ago, and it was a very nice call, a very encouraging call," Trump told NBC News' Chuck Todd in an interview set to air Sunday on "Meet the Press." "He called me, I think, to congratulate me about New York, 'cause I won by massive numbers."

An excerpt of the interview was released late Saturday afternoon.

Trump added that he has "a nice relationship" with Ryan, though he told Todd he doesn't know him well and met him only one time.

"But I have a nice relationship with him. And then all of a sudden, he gets on and he does this number. So I'm not exactly sure what he has in mind. But that's OK," Trump said.

Ryan sent shockwaves through the political establishment Thursday when he told CNN's Jake Tapper that he's "just not ready" to support Trump, making him the highest-level GOP official to reject the real estate magnate since he became the last candidate standing in the party's nominating contest.

]Trump and Ryan are due to meet Thursday on Capitol Hill, where Trump also is due to meet with Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus and top congressional Republicans in an effort to unify a Republican Party that's becoming increasing fractured now that Trump is the party's standard-bearer.

n perhaps a preview of the message he intends to deliver to Ryan, Trump told ABC News' George Stephanopoulos Friday that he doesn't need to earn Ryan's support.

"I'm gonna say, 'Look, this is what the people want,'" Trump told Stephanopoulos.

Earlier this week, a Trump aide suggested that Ryan wasn't fit to be speaker of the House. No doubt that didn't go over well in the Ryan camp.

But Trump moderated his tone a little at a rally in Washington state yesterday:

"I think Paul Ryan will be fine, and if he's not, that's OK," Trump said, adding that he believes if Ryan had it to do over again, he'd simply endorse Trump rather than face backlash from GOP voters and some elected officials for rejecting the party's presumptive nominee.

There is no indication that Ryan regrets his non-endorsement of Trump. Ryan is giving Republicans in the House a clear choice; Trump or him. If it's Trump, Ryan might resign the speakership and his House seat. 

Don't expect anything substantial to come out of their meeting on Thursday.  There's no papering over the differences between the two. A public split would be a disaster for Republicans, further dividing the party at a time when it should be coming together.