8 Oct, 2016 22:46

Top GOPers urge Trump to quit race amid tape scandal

The Republican Party appears to be in a tailspin since Trump’s hot mic bombshell dropped. Projects for Trump’s “victory” program have been put on indefinite hold and members of the party are jumping ship faster than you can say… what Donald did on tape.

BREAKING -- House GOP conference call scheduled for Monday morning.
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) October 9, 2016

While Trump is still technically the official party nominee, The Donald is under mounting pressure from a growing number of leading Republicans to step aside, less than 24 hours after a 2005 tape of him bragging about sexually assaulting women was leaked.

A source close to Trump camp told me Pence and his team are “absolutely apoplectic,” "melting down” and "inconsolable.”
— Philip Rucker (@PhilipRucker) October 8, 2016

Certainly has been an interesting 24 hours!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 8, 2016

Jason Chaffetz was the first sitting Republican member of Congress to publicly pull his support of Trump, citing his 15-year-old daughter as the reason he could no longer endorse the candidate for president.

Republican Congressman @jasoninthehouse retracts endorsement of Trump pic.twitter.com/CE17l2fGcH https://t.co/VKQu7yvZnE
— RT America (@RT_America) October 8, 2016

Senator John McCain has pulled his support for Trump, saying there were “no excuses for Donald Trump’s offensive behavior.”

There are no excuses for Donald Trump’s offensive behavior. Cindy & I will not vote for him. My full stmt: https://t.co/MOw0rx4LSI
— John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain) October 8, 2016

John McCain withdraws support for Trump pic.twitter.com/G1Rvj1W1sp
— Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) October 8, 2016

RNC chairman Reince Priebus and speaker of the house Paul Ryan continued the wave of “sickened” GOPers to denounce Trump by disinviting him to their joint political event in Wisconsin on Saturday.

BREAKING: Speaker Paul Ryan says he's "sickened" by Trump's lewd comments, calls on him to show respect for women.
— The Associated Press (@AP) October 8, 2016

GOP senators Mike Lee, Kelly Ayotte, Mark Kirk, John Thune, Mike Crapo, Cory Gardner, Martha Roby, Jeff Flake, Dennis Daugaard and Rob Portman all took to social media to not only criticize Trump’s comments, but to call for the candidate to drop out:

Sen. Rob Portman says he can no longer "support" Trump for president, saying he would vote for Pence for president.
— Jack Torry (@JackTorry1) October 9, 2016

I will not vote for Donald Trump. Read my statement here: pic.twitter.com/F8zajgDZpg
— Kelly Ayotte (@KellyAyotte) October 8, 2016

.@realDonaldTrump should drop out. @GOP should engage rules for emergency replacement.
— Mark Kirk (@SenatorKirk) October 8, 2016

Donald Trump should withdraw and Mike Pence should be our nominee effective immediately.
— Senator John Thune (@SenJohnThune) October 8, 2016

I can no longer endorse Donald Trump. Read my full statement: pic.twitter.com/lfa9mYZbdC
— Senator Mike Crapo (@MikeCrapo) October 8, 2016

If Donald Trump wishes to defeat Hillary Clinton, he should do the only thing that will allow us to do so - step aside. My full statement: pic.twitter.com/hadKP4gIrr
— Cory Gardner (@CoryGardner) October 8, 2016

Donald Trump's behavior makes him unacceptable as a candidate for president, and I won't vote for him.

Full statement: pic.twitter.com/Ge7GU1TSvm
— Rep. Martha Roby (@RepMarthaRoby) October 8, 2016

Enough is enough. Donald Trump should withdraw in favor of Governor Mike Pence. This election is too important.
— Gov. Dennis Daugaard (@SDGovDaugaard) October 8, 2016

.@realDonaldTrump is wrong about his level of support. He needs to withdraw from the race. https://t.co/sv7K3qmF1w
— Jeff Flake (@JeffFlake) October 8, 2016

Kasich, Rubio and Cruz were all quick off the mark to lambast their former rival:

I will not vote for a nominee who has behaved in a manner that reflects so poorly on our country. FULL STATEMENT: https://t.co/7zUFPXvXPA
— John Kasich (@JohnKasich) October 8, 2016

Donald's comments were vulgar, egregious & impossible to justify.
No one should ever talk about any woman in those terms, even in private.
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) October 8, 2016

These comments are disturbing and inappropriate, there is simply no excuse for them.
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) October 8, 2016

Sensing the panic, the RNC have put a “hold on all projects” related to the Trump’s “Victory” program according to an email seen by Politico: “Please put a hold/stop on all mail projects right now. If something is in production or print it needs to stop. Will update you when to proceed,” it read.

Never one to back to down, Trump remains defiant:

The media and establishment want me out of the race so badly - I WILL NEVER DROP OUT OF THE RACE, WILL NEVER LET MY SUPPORTERS DOWN! #MAGA
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 8, 2016

However, some Republicans chose to openly support Trump, saying that the 11-year-old “locker room” comments can’t be compared with the prospect of Hillary Clinton becoming president amid the “dire” economic situation in the country.

Here is my official response to Trump's 11-year-old locker room comments. #TrumpTapes pic.twitter.com/hOFjJGUR7m
— Rep. Steven Smith (@RepStevenSmith) October 8, 2016

Sarah Palin has called out mainstream media for “hypocrisy,” saying that Clinton’s outrageous comments and details of leaks have not been as much spun in the press.

“Going around media filters you clearly see one candidate offering a bold vision with solid plans to build a stronger, safer, greater America, while the career politician in the race offers only tired, sad, unsustainable, illogical ways of the past that will leave our children unsafe, broken and abused,” Palin insisted on her Facebook page.

For what it’s worth, potential VP Mike Pence is, while disappointed, choosing to stick by his running mate and Melania Trump thinks one should forgive her husband, as has she.

BREAKING: statement from @mike_pence nearly 21 hours after Trump tape audio leaked: pic.twitter.com/POh5ORJkc1
— Elizabeth Landers (@ElizLanders) October 8, 2016