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Mike Pence Is Sticking With Donald Trump. Will Other Republicans? Paul Ryan Will No Longer Defend Donald Trump
(35 minutes later)
Donald J. Trump’s campaign hoped his debate performance would halt an exodus of fellow Republicans, imploring party members to hang with their nominee and seeking to project an aura of confidence on Monday morning. House Speaker Paul D. Ryan dealt a hammer blow to Donald J. Trump’s presidential candidacy Monday, telling Republican lawmakers that he will no longer defend Mr. Trump and will focus instead on defending the majority in Congress.
Puncturing speculation that he might withdraw from the race, Gov. Mike Pence of Indiana, Mr. Trump’s running mate, said in a television interview that he was fully committed to the Republican ticket. Suggestions to the contrary were “absolutely false,” Mr. Pence said. On a conference call with the Republican conference, Mr. Ryan urged his members to focus on their own re-election campaigns and to make individual decisions about how to handle Mr. Trump, according to two people who were on the call, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Some Republicans had hoped that Mr. Pence would abandon Mr. Trump, crippling his candidacy and allowing the party to designate someone else as its standard-bearer. Several prominent Republican officials, including Senators Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire and Rob Portman of Ohio, said over the weekend that they planned to cast protest votes for Mr. Pence instead of Mr. Trump. All but conceding defeat in the presidential race, Mr. Ryan said he would dedicate himself full time to keeping control of the House and said flatly that he “won’t defend” Mr. Trump,” the people on the call said. But he did not say he is withdrawing his endorsement.
But after criticizing Mr. Trump on Saturday for his newly unearthed comments bragging about sexual assault, Mr. Pence declared that Mr. Trump had exonerated himself in Sunday night’s debate. On CNN, Mr. Pence said he planned to campaign “shoulder to shoulder” with Mr. Trump for the duration of the race. The announcement from Mr. Ryan will come as a bitter disappointment to Mr. Trump’s campaign, which had hoped his debate performance would halt an exodus of fellow Republicans. Early on Monday, Mr. Trump’s advisers implored members of the party to hang with their nominee, and sought to project an aura of confidence after Mr. Trump’s aggressive clash with Hillary Clinton on Sunday night.
Kellyanne Conway, Mr. Trump’s campaign manager, said on “CBS This Morning” that she hoped Mr. Ryan “keeps his word” and maintains support for Mr. Trump.
But in a potentially ominous sign for the party, Ms. Conway also offered a note of warning for Republicans fleeing Mr. Trump: Mr. Ryan, she noted, had been booed by Trump fans over the weekend in Wisconsin, after asking Mr. Trump not to attend a political event in his home state.
In a gesture of reassurance, Gov. Mike Pence of Indiana, Mr. Trump’s running mate, denied in several television interviews that he was thinking of leaving the Republican ticket. Mr. Pence said he was fully committed to the race and would stand “shoulder to shoulder” with Mr. Trump for the duration.
“Donald Trump stepped up and won the debate last night,” Mr. Pence said on Fox News. “He showed humility and he showed strength and he expressed genuine contrition.”“Donald Trump stepped up and won the debate last night,” Mr. Pence said on Fox News. “He showed humility and he showed strength and he expressed genuine contrition.”
It remains to be seen whether other Republicans will find Mr. Trump’s debate performance similarly reassuring. Republicans in Washington are expected to confer Monday over how to handle Mr. Trump for the remainder of the race, with congressional Republicans holding a conference call late in the morning and members of the Republican National Committee speaking by phone later in the day. Some Republicans had hoped that Mr. Pence would abandon Mr. Trump, crippling his candidacy and allowing the party to designate someone else as its standard-bearer. Several prominent Republican officials, including Senators Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire and Rob Portman of Ohio, said over the weekend that they planned to cast protest votes for Mr. Pence instead of Mr. Trump.
No new prominent Republicans have turned away from Mr. Trump since the end of the debate, but there was a palpable fear throughout the party that Mr. Trump had already been damaged beyond repair. Mr. Ryan’s huddle with House Republicans was the first of multiple war councils in Washington on Monday, as Republicans weigh how to handle a nominee whose campaign has appeared to unravel in recent days. The Republican National Committee, which has been fiercely loyal to Mr. Trump, was set to hold a conference call with its members later in the afternoon.
No new prominent Republicans withdrawn their endorsements from Mr. Trump since the end of the debate, but there was a palpable fear throughout the party that Mr. Trump had already been damaged beyond repair.
And despite his campaign’s insistent declarations of victory, Mr. Trump appeared to inflict new harm on his candidacy on Sunday night, handing new political ammunition to Hillary Clinton, and Democrats who aim to make Republicans pay a price for supporting his campaign. He made a series of incendiary and damaging statements in the debate, in one instance declaring that Mrs. Clinton would be in jail if he were president, and in another confirming that he had avoided paying federal income tax for years.And despite his campaign’s insistent declarations of victory, Mr. Trump appeared to inflict new harm on his candidacy on Sunday night, handing new political ammunition to Hillary Clinton, and Democrats who aim to make Republicans pay a price for supporting his campaign. He made a series of incendiary and damaging statements in the debate, in one instance declaring that Mrs. Clinton would be in jail if he were president, and in another confirming that he had avoided paying federal income tax for years.
Robby Mook, Mrs. Clinton’s campaign manager, seized on Mr. Trump’s remark about jailing a political rival, and called on Mr. Trump to apologize.Robby Mook, Mrs. Clinton’s campaign manager, seized on Mr. Trump’s remark about jailing a political rival, and called on Mr. Trump to apologize.
“It’s chilling that Donald Trump thinks that the presidency is like some banana republic dictatorship where you can lock up your political opponents,” Mr. Mook said.“It’s chilling that Donald Trump thinks that the presidency is like some banana republic dictatorship where you can lock up your political opponents,” Mr. Mook said.
Mr. Mook also criticized Mr. Trump for what he described as a “stunt event” on Sunday evening, in which Mr. Trump assembled four women who have accused Bill Clinton of sexual misdeeds in the past for an impromptu statement to the media in St. Louis.Mr. Mook also criticized Mr. Trump for what he described as a “stunt event” on Sunday evening, in which Mr. Trump assembled four women who have accused Bill Clinton of sexual misdeeds in the past for an impromptu statement to the media in St. Louis.
It appears likely that Mr. Trump and his allies will continue to make an issue of Mr. Clinton’s conduct in the past for the duration of the race. After having mused for months about raising Mr. Clinton’s indiscretions, Mr. Trump made them an issue on Sunday night.It appears likely that Mr. Trump and his allies will continue to make an issue of Mr. Clinton’s conduct in the past for the duration of the race. After having mused for months about raising Mr. Clinton’s indiscretions, Mr. Trump made them an issue on Sunday night.
But Mr. Trump’s top surrogates continued to attack Mr. Clinton on Monday morning. Kellyanne Conway, Mr. Trump’s campaign manager, suggested that news shows book Mr. Clinton’s accusers for television interviews.But Mr. Trump’s top surrogates continued to attack Mr. Clinton on Monday morning. Kellyanne Conway, Mr. Trump’s campaign manager, suggested that news shows book Mr. Clinton’s accusers for television interviews.
Even Mr. Pence, who has made a practice of avoiding personal attacks for much of his political career, jabbed at Mr. Clinton on CNN for his liaison with Monica Lewinsky, whom Mr. Pence repeatedly reminded viewers was “a 23-year-old intern in the White House.”Even Mr. Pence, who has made a practice of avoiding personal attacks for much of his political career, jabbed at Mr. Clinton on CNN for his liaison with Monica Lewinsky, whom Mr. Pence repeatedly reminded viewers was “a 23-year-old intern in the White House.”
With Mr. Trump veering into such politically risky territory, Republicans are looking to House Speaker Paul D. Ryan for a new signal of how to approach their presidential nominee for the remaining weeks of the campaign. Mr. Ryan rebuked Mr. Trump sternly over the weekend and disinvited him from a political event in Wisconsin, but has not withdrawn backing from his campaign.
Ms. Conway said she hoped Mr. Ryan “keeps his word” and maintains his support for Mr. Trump. Ms. Conway said on “CBS This Morning” that Mr. Trump would welcome back any Republicans who had pulled away from Mr. Trump, if they later reconsidered their decision.
But in an apparent warning shot at Republicans thinking of pulling their endorsements, Ms. Conway noted that Mr. Ryan had been jeered by Trump supporters at a gathering in Wisconsin, his home state, after he asked Mr. Trump not to attend.
Mr. Ryan, she said, “faced some boos from the crowd,” from people disappointed by Mr. Trump’s absence.
Republican elected officials and candidates are facing intense pressure from more than one direction, however: Democrats in House and Senate races have already signaled loudly that they will ask voters to punish Republicans who have been supportive of Mr. Trump, and especially those who remain loyal to him now.