Republicans Dump Trump In Record Numbers After Racist Remarks, GOP Leaders Unendorse Donald
It may have finally happened.
Donald Trump’s brash and bold political style may have finally alienated his fellow Republicans just as the primary season comes to close with the last elections hosted Tuesday.
Trump’s racially charged comments about a federal judge being unable to do his job because of his Mexican heritage are angering many Republican leaders who previously endorsed him.
Now some in the GOP are calling for party leaders to rethink their support for Trump.
Paul Ryan likens Donald Trump’s comments about judge to “textbook definition of a racist”: https://t.co/hbhs0ulb72 pic.twitter.com/qVFLv6lw8I
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) June 7, 2016
Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan said Donald’s comments about Judge Gonzalo Curiel, who is overseeing the Trump University lawsuit, amount to “textbook” racism, according to the SFGate.
“Claiming a person can’t do their job because of their race is sort of like the textbook definition of a racist comment. I think that should be absolutely disavowed. It’s absolutely unacceptable.”
Ryan wasn’t the only Republican leader rethinking his endorsement of Donald Trump this week.
"To be clear, claiming that someone is not able to do their job because of their race is, by definition, racism" https://t.co/GoQrtB5A3X
— Occupy Wall Street with a General Strike (@OccupyWallStNYC) June 7, 2016
South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham urged Republicans who have previously endorsed Trump to rethink their support of the candidate.
Citing Donald’s comments Sunday that a Muslim judge would also be unable to remain neutral, Graham urged his Republican colleagues to put the good of the country over party politics, according to the New York Times.
“This is the most un-American thing from a politician since Joe McCarthy. If anybody was looking for an off-ramp, this is probably it. There’ll come a time when the love of country will trump hatred of Hillary.”
Other Republicans across the country also sought to distance themselves from Trump this week amid worries his racist comments could hurt their own reelection chances.
A Republican Party that would nominate Donald Trump and stands by him does not deserve to retain majorities in the Senate or the House.
— Claude Taylor (@TrueFactsStated) June 7, 2016
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Trump was playing the “race card,” while Maine Senator Susan Collins said Donald’s comments indicated a lack of respect for the separation of powers doctrine in the constitution, reports the Huffington Post.
“They are completely unacceptable.”
Illinois Republican Senator Mark Kirk was the first prominent GOP lawmakers to publicly withdraw his support from Trump’s campaign, reports the USA Today.
“[Trump] has not demonstrated the temperament necessary to assume the greatest office in the world.”
Republican leaders are worried Donald Trump’s increasingly racist campaign could wind up alienating a generation of Latino voters and hurting the GOP’s chance in House and Senate races.
'White nostalgia' is not enough to carry Donald Trump to the White House — via @CSMonitor https://t.co/JsqeZICGdp pic.twitter.com/6dvTNZRbWH
— Insider Business (@BusinessInsider) June 7, 2016
Democrats have been quick to make them pay, and veteran Republican strategist Rick Wilson is worried the Trump fallout will only get worse come November, as he explains in a HeatStreet column.
“You own his politics. You own the racial animus that started out as a bug, became a feature and is now the defining characteristic of his campaign. You own every crazy, vile chunk of word vomit that spews from his mouth.”
In an editorial article last week, the Union Tribune urged San Diego Republican voters to write in the name of dead former president Ronald Reagan rather than vote for Trump in California’s primary.
Trump isn’t helping matters. In a heated conference call with political allies Monday, Trump urged Republican leaders to defend his racist comments and then yelled at his office staff for suggesting otherwise.
Donald Trump says his comments on judge handling Trump University litigation have been "misconstrued" https://t.co/WkIq9d45PU
— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) June 7, 2016
During the call, which was first reported on by Bloomberg, Trump denied knowing a campaign staffer who circulated an email urging his political allies to avoid discussing the Trump University case.
“Are there any other stupid letters that were sent to you folks?”
As Trump enters his sixth week as the presumptive Republican nominee, many in the GOP are beginning to regret endorsing him.
A note of caution, just because several Republican leaders are beginning to rethink their endorsement of Donald Trump doesn’t mean they’re ready to support Hillary Clinton, as Paul Ryan told the SFGate.
“Do I believe Hillary Clinton is the answer? No, I do not.”
[Photo credit: AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite]
