“If we tell him to go, that just means he’ll stay and run against us.” “The people who have the least leverage with Trump is the leadership,” said a senior GOP staffer. One top Republican noted that when Richard Nixon resigned in 1974, the decision came only after his most loyal supporters told him it was time to go. Convincing Trump to end his bid for the White House would have to come from his inner circle, not party elites. If GOP congressional leaders do decide they want Trump out in favor of Pence or someone else, any effort by them to get him to step aside could backfire and make Trump even more defiant. It’s a nightmare scenario that may even be worse than the current mess. That was all before the “Access Hollywood” video debacle derailed his campaign and raised serious doubts about whether he’d even make it until Election Day as the nominee.Īlmost three dozen Republican House members and senators have already announced they want Trump out or that they’re backing Pence, though the exodus is expected to slow on Sunday.Īnother factor for Republican leaders is Trump’s own unpredictablity, as well as his efforts to cast himself as an “outsider” looking to clean up the Washington morass. However, Trump’s bad debate performance, followed up by his bizarre four-day attack against a former Miss Universe, started to undermine his support among independent voters, a key demographic for Republicans. “Trump is his own brand,” Republican strategists have insisted throughout the year, insisting any fallout down-ballot will be limited even if Trump failed to win the presidency. 26, Trump’s unpopularity was not seen as a threat to their majorities, especially for House Republicans. Until his poor showing in the first debate on Sept. It reflects both Ryan and McConnell’s personal style, as well as that of the other leaders.

There are a number of reasons for GOP leadership’s cautious approach. House Republicans have scheduled a conference call for Monday with members to decide what to do next. They condemned Trump and took no further action, waiting to see what happens during Sunday’s now even more vital showdown in St. “Donald Trump should withdraw and Mike Pence should be our nominee effective immediately,” Thune tweeted.īut other party leaders, despite a flurry of conversations, remained on the sidelines. Mike Pence, the vice presidential nominee. 3 in leadership, publicly declared that Trump should step aside in favor of Indiana Gov. Senate Republican Conference Chairman John Thune, No. No conference calls with their members to review about the situation. No broader discussion of whether to abandon Trump. Yet that’s as far as either Ryan or McConnell went.

Trump tower implodes