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Republican Leaders Withdraw Support For Trump

by VOA News

   Some leading Republicans in the United States are beginning to withdraw
   their support for the party's presidential candidate, Donald Trump,
   after a video surfaced Friday from 2005 in which Trump can be heard
   making bawdy remarks about groping and making sexual advances on women.
   Trump was married to his present wife Melania at the time of his
   conversation with an entertainment reporter.

   While the brash billionaire has only enjoyed tentative and begrudging
   support from many in his party, his lewd comments in the video have
   pushed some party leaders to declare they will not vote for him. Some
   say they also will not vote for his Democratic opponent, Hillary
   Clinton either, leaving prominent Republicans in the precarious
   position of not voting for a president or casting votes for third party
   candidates who have virtually no chance of winning the race for the
   White House.

   House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan said he was "sickened" by
   Trump's remarks and announced Trump would not attend an annual fall
   festival in Wisconsin; Ryan's home state. Trump was scheduled to be
   there along with Ryan, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and Reince
   Priebus, the head of the Republican Party.

   Priebus said of Trump's comments, "No woman should ever be described in
   these terms or talked about in this manner, ever."

   Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said, "These comments are
   repugnant, and unacceptable in any circumstance. . . . I strongly
   believe that Trump needs to apologize directly to women and girls
   everywhere."

   House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy also called on Trump to issue a
   "full and unqualified apology."

   Utah Senator Mike Lee called on Trump to drop out of the race, calling
   him a "distraction from the important issues we're facing today."

   Senator Mark Kirk, who is up for re-election in a tight race in the
   state of Illinois, also tweeted that Trump should drop out of the race
   and the Republican Party "should engage rules for emergency
   replacement.''

   Senator John McCain, who lost to Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential
   election, said Trump "alone bears the burden of his conduct and alone
   should suffer the consequences."

   Utah Congressman Jason Chaffetz, who is chairman of the House oversight
   committee, said Friday he "can no longer in good conscience endorse
   (Trump) for president." Chaffetz said Trump's remarks in the video were
   "some of the most abhorrent and offensive comments that you can
   possibly imagine."

   Gary Herbert, the governor of Utah categorized Trump's statements as
   "beyond offense and despicable."

   Pollster and conservative political consultant Frank Luntz said: "This
   one will cause real damage."

   Trump will meet his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in a televised
   debate on Sunday.