Cory Gardner, Mike Coffman, Darryl Glenn call on Trump to step aside

Gage Skidmore

Three of Colorado’s highest profile Republicans— U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner, Congressman Mike Coffman and U.S. Senate nominee Darryl Glenn— have called on their party’s presidential nominee to step aside following a leaked 2005 recording of Donald Trump bragging about assaulting women.

Glenn, who is running against incumbent Democrat Michael Bennet for U.S. Senate in Colorado, also issued a statement saying he wanted Trump to step aside and let his running mate Mike Pence take his place. He said as a father, Christian and Republican, he cannot support someone who speaks about women the way Trump has.

Earlier in the day, Glenn said he was praying about his open support for Trump.

https://twitter.com/DarrylGlenn2016/status/784781174333775872

Fewer than six hours later he made his decision to dump him.

Friday evening, Coffman released this statement.

“For the good of the country, and to give the 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.”

Coffman is in a tough re-election campaign against Democratic Sen. Morgan Carroll. During his campaign he has distanced himself from Trump, saying he would “stand up” to him if he became president, and Democrats have hounded him for not saying whether or not he will vote for his party’s presidential nominee.

Carroll quickly responded to Coffman’s statement.

“Calling on Trump to step down but still being open to voting for him is simply a profile in poll-watching and political self-preservation,” she said. “Attacks on a Gold Star family, mocking a disabled reporter, threatening physical violence on his opponent, and calling Mexicans rapists and murderers wasn’t enough to lose Coffman’s support. But now, with a month to go before Election Day, Mike Coffman is looking out for one person— himself.”

Republicans in the past 24 hours have severed their support for Trumpafter The Washington Post reported comments the reality TV star and real estate mogul made in 2005 with Bill Bush who at the time worked for Access Hollywood. Trump bragged to Bush about how being a celebrity allowed him to do what he wanted to women, and about his attempts at having sex with an unnamed married woman.

From The Post:

“And when you’re a star, they let you do it,” Trump says. “You can do anything.” “Whatever you want,” says another voice, apparently Bush’s. “Grab them by the p—y,” Trump says. “You can do anything.”

Reaction to the leaked recording was swift, with Trump’s words appearing on today’s front page of The New York Daily News. Trump issued avideotaped apology and dismissed his remarks as locker room banter.

More Colorado reactions:

Trump said he will not step aside.

“I’d never withdraw,” Trump told The Washington Post. “I’ve never withdrawn in my life.”

Photo by Gage Skidmore for Creative Commons on Flickr.

3 COMMENTS

  1. Where are the statements from other Colorado Republican candidates? Or from the Colorado Republican Party?

  2. Big deal. He Should have stayed a democrat, at least he would be more honest. Just another RINO going along with the program.

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