October 8, 2016

Here Are All the Republicans Who Have Abandoned Trump’s Ship So Far

We’ll update this list as the unendorsements pile up.

Evan Vucci/AP; Stanislav Pobytov/iStock

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A growing number of Republicans have condemned their party’s nominee in the wake of the Washington Post‘s scoop Friday featuring footage in which Donald Trump boasts of groping and kissing women without their consent.

The video has led to a slew of condemnations from horrified Republicans, some of whom have called for Trump to step down and even for running mate Mike Pence, a lifelong religious conservative, to step in as the party’s candidate for president. Here’s how it’s played out so far:

8:46 p.m. EDT, October 7: Sen. Mark Kirk of Illinois, who withdrew his support for Trump in June, tweets:

9:07 p.m., October 7: Rep. Jason Chaffetz of Utah tells Fox 13 News, “I’m out. I can no longer in good conscience endorse this person for president. It is some of the most abhorrent and offensive comments that you can possibly imagine.”

9:50 p.m., October 7: Utah Gov. Gary Herbert, who previously supported Trump:

10:16 p.m., October 7 (approximately): Rep. Mike Coffman of Colorado, who already didn’t support Trump, issues a statement: “For the good of the country, and to give Republicans a chance of defeating Hillary Clinton, Mr. Trump should step aside. His defeat at this point seems almost certain and four years of Hillary Clinton is not what is best for this country. Mr. Trump should put the country first and do the right thing.”

12:29 a.m., October 8: Sen. Mike Lee of Utah posts a Facebook video affirming his opposition to Trump and adding, “I respectfully ask you, with all due respect, to step aside. Step down, allow someone else to carry the banner of these principles.”

12:49 a.m., October 8: Rep. Barbara Comstock of Virginia, who has not endorsed Trump throughout this campaign: “This is disgusting, vile, and disqualifying. No woman should ever be subjected to this type of obscene behavior and it is unbecoming of anybody seeking high office. In light of these comments, Donald Trump should step aside and allow our party to replace him with Mike Pence or another appropriate nominee.”

1:56 a.m., October 8: Rep. Chris Stewart of Utah tells a local TV station, “I’m incredibly disappointed in our party’s candidate am therefore calling for him to step aside and to allow Mike Pence to lead our party.”

8:06 a.m. October 8: Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska, who has always opposed Trump, tweets:

8:50 a.m., October 8: Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia says Trump should “reexamine his candidacy”:

9:07 a.m., October 8: Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake, who never endorsed Trump and rebuked him at a meeting on Capitol Hill, demands that the Republican nominee exit the race immediately:

9:14 a.m., October 8: Rep. Scott Garrett of New Jersey:

9:15 a.m., October 8: Gov. Robert Bentley of Alabama—who is himself facing possible impeachment over an affair with an aide—tells the Montgomery Advertiser, “I certainly won’t vote for Hillary Clinton, but I cannot and will not vote for Donald Trump.”

9:59 a.m., October 8: New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez, who had not formally endorsed the GOP ticket:

10:02 a.m., October 8: Rep. Martha Roby of Alabama:

10:45 a.m., October 8: Ohio Gov. John Kasich, the last man to drop out of the Republican presidential race, calls Trump “a man I cannot and should not support.”

11:14 a.m., October 8: Sen. Mike Crapo of Idaho:

11:11 a.m., October 8: Rep. Mia Love of Utah, who had not previously endorsed Trump, calls for him to step down:

11:27 a.m., October 8: Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan of Alaska:

11:30 a.m., October 8: Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval, who had previously withheld an endorsement of Trump:

11:37 a.m., October 8: Sen. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire:

12:07 p.m., October 8: Rep. Tom Rooney of Florida:

12:11 p.m., October 8: Rep. Jeff Fortenberry of Nebraska:

12:17 p.m., October 8: Rep. Erik Paulsen of Minnesota:

12:36 p.m., October 8: Rep. Frank LoBiondo of New Jersey announces he will write-in Mike Pence for president.

12:46 p.m., October 8: South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard:

12:51 p.m., October 8: Sen. John Thune of South Dakota:

12:58 p.m., October 8 (approximately): Rep Bradley Byrne of Alabama releases a statement: “Donald Trump’s comments regarding women were disgraceful and appalling. There are absolutely no circumstances under which it would ever be appropriate to speak of women in such a way. It is now clear Donald Trump is not fit to be President of the United States and cannot defeat Hillary Clinton. I believe he should step aside and allow Governor Pence to lead the Republican ticket.”

1:05 p.m., October 8: Rep. Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania, who said in August he wouldn’t vote for Trump, told the Morning Call on Saturday that Trump’s statement’s “are indefensible and disturbing coming from an individual seeking the nation’s highest office. Given his past erratic behavior and incendiary comments, the latest revelations regarding Donald Trump do not come as a surprise. The comments highlight the reason why I could not support the nominee this cycle.” According to the New York Times, Dent also urged Trump to withdraw from the race and said that if Trump refuses to do so, the GOP should abandon the candidate and shift its focus to down-ballot races.

1:30 p.m., October 8: Rep. Rodney Davis of Illinois:

1:33 p.m., October 8: Rep. Fred Upton of Michigan, who declined to endorse Trump in June, said today, according to the New York Times:

1:56 p.m., October 8: Rep. Joe Heck, who is running for Senate in Nevada, releases his full statement from a Saturday rally. An excerpt:

At the same rally, Nevada Rep. Cresent Hardy, a top Democratic target, says, “I will no longer support the guy at the head of the ticket.”

1:59 p.m., October 8: Rep. Ann Wagner of Missouri:

2:35 p.m., October 8: Sen. Deb Fischer of Nebraska:

2:52 p.m., October 8: Rep. Will Hurd of Texas, locked in a tough reelection fight, calls on Trump to step aside:

3:04 p.m., October 8: Sen. Cory Gardner of Colorado:

3:19 p.m., October 8: Rep. Steve Knight of California:

4:48 p.m., October 8: Rep. John Katko of New York, a Trump critic who had never endorsed, says Trump should step down because “his comments cannot be justified and crosses every line you can imagine.”

4:59 p.m., October 8: Sen. John McCain of Arizona:

6:33 p.m., October 8: Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio:

8:44 p.m., October 8: Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington, one of two Hispanic Republican women in Congress:

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Readers also told us to just give it to you straight when we need to ask for your support, and seeing how matter-of-factly explaining our inner workings, our challenges and finances, can bring more of you in has been a real silver lining. So our online membership lead, Brian, lays it all out for you in his personal, insider account (that literally puts his skin in the game!) of how urgent things are right now.

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