‘America Deserves Better’: Conservative Pols Speak Out After Crude Audio of Trump Leaks
There have been plenty of reactions pouring in ever since the Washington Post dropped a video that included audio of Donald Trump and Billy Bush chatting about how stars can “do anything” to women, even “grab ’em by the pussy.” It’s been hashed out on cable news and in the comments on Bush’s Facebook page, but perhaps some of the most meaningful commentary of all is coming from Republicans.
Arizona senator Jeff Flake put his feelings like this:
America deserves far better than @realDonaldTrump
— Jeff Flake (@JeffFlake) October 7, 2016
Even former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski isn’t defending his old boss:
Corey Lewandowski, reacting to the footage on CNN: “I think what this comes down to is clearly this is not how women should be spoken about”
— Jeremy Diamond (@JDiamond1) October 7, 2016
Kelly Ayotte, who was under fire this week for saying she would “absolutely” call Trump a good role model for kids, spoke out against his comments:
JUST IN: GOP Sen @KellyAyotte stmt on newly released Trump audio: “His comments are totally inappropriate and offensive.”
— Frank Thorp V (@frankthorp) October 7, 2016
Conservative host Steve Deace has thoughts, too:
Boy those comments are bad. Really bad. Indefensible really.
— Steve Deace (@SteveDeaceShow) October 7, 2016
Erick Erickson got in there, as well:
Well Evangelicals, ur presidential candidate claims he’s never needed to ask forgiveness for knowingly trying to sleep with a married woman
— Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) October 7, 2016
Some Republicans, like Trump’s running mate Mike Pence, are deliberately not making a peep:
traveling Pence press pooler removed from restaurant Pence was in when Trump audio broke.
— Rick Klein (@rickklein) October 7, 2016
Regardless of who is giving statements and who is staying quiet, MSNBC’s Chris Hayes has nailed the very thing that must be driving conservatives insane right now:
Old enough to remember the GOP/conservatives spending years telling America they were the party of family values and liberals were amoral
— Christopher Hayes (@chrislhayes) October 7, 2016
There will surely be more to come and we will keep you updated.
UPDATE — 7:11 p.m. EST:
Here’s the latest from Jeb(!) Bush, who is not at all happy about what the man who beat him for the Republican nomination said to his cousin:
As the grandfather of two precious girls, I find that no apology can excuse away Donald Trump’s reprehensible comments degrading women.
— Jeb Bush (@JebBush) October 7, 2016
UPDATE — 7:30 p.m. EST:
RNC Chairman Reince Priebus has weighed in:
Breaking: Statement from Reince Priebus on Trump audio: pic.twitter.com/1jv9hiVwq7
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) October 7, 2016
UPDATE –– 12:22 a.m. ET: Trump has apologized. Watch the video here.
UPDATE — 12:35 a.m. EST:
We found another conservative senator giving Trump the business. This time, it was Mark Kirk of Illinois:
DJT is a malignant clown – unprepared and unfit to be president of the United States.
— Mark Kirk (@SenatorKirk) October 7, 2016
[image via screengrab]
