With less than a month until America goes to the polls to choose the 45th president, uncertainty continues over the candidacy of Republican nominee Donald Trump and the future of the Republican Party — including here at the University.
In a released video that shocked national newsrooms, Trump and Billy Bush, a former anchor for NBC’s Access Hollywood and current co-anchor for the 9 a.m. hour of NBC’s Today show, are recorded talking in very crude and misogynistic terms about the nominee’s experience with certain women. One of the women objectified in the video is former Access Hollywood correspondent and current host of CBS’s Entertainment Tonight Nancy O’Dell, who condemned the comments in a statement.
Trump is recorded describing O’Dell as a woman with “phony tits,” going on to insinuate that you can get away with almost anything when you are a celebrity, saying he could “grab [women] by the p—y.”
The video was given to the Washington Post by an anonymous source. Following its publication, many Republican politicians came out against Trump’s remarks, withdrawing their endorsements and some saying they will no longer vote for Trump in November. Even Trump’s running mate, Gov. Mike Pence (R-IN), said he could not condone the comments made in the video.
Student organizations on Grounds spoke out against Trump’s statements, including the College Republicans, who endorsed Trump a month ago in a 67-63 vote. The group is now reevaluating that endorsement.
“We are deeply ashamed of the words and actions of our presidential candidate,” College Republicans President Joanna Ro, a fourth-year College student, said in an email statement. “Fifty percent of our board, including our chairman, are women, and Mr. Trump’s crudeness in no way represents the ideals or values of the Republican Party. Though we may endorse him, we will not make excuses for such disturbing disrespect of any group or individual.”
The night the video was released, Trump released a 90-second video in which he apologized for his actions, but continued with attacks on Hillary and Bill Clinton’s past with sexual assault.
Politics Lecturer Carah Ong-Whaley said Trump shouldn’t have used the apology to attack the Clintons.
“He has already raised the part about his apology, but the problem is that he raised the fact that Bill Clinton has said things to him while they were golfing,” Ong-Whaley said. “He needs to be using this to apologize in a sincere way and try to bring up how to deal with sexual assault in our culture and that it should not be acceptable.”
Many Republicans, including Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) and former Republican presidential candidate Carly Fiorina, have said they will now be voting for alternatives, like writing in Pence. Political pundits are now discussing the possibility of Trump being replaced on the ticket — a move Ong-Whaley said Trump would not likely abide by.
“My sense is that he would not, just based off of his comments to date,” Ong-Whaley said. “It is clear that he wants to stay in this race. He is not someone that puts the party first. It [is] difficult to say that he would put the party before himself. Purely hypothetical, but if he did drop out, it would not be the party leaders that would persuade him.”
The College Republicans National Committee retracted its endorsement of Trump following his comments.
Ro also sent out an email to the University chapter stating the organization will hold a revote on their endorsement.
“We, the executive board, respect the original vote to endorse him, but understand this may have changed the way many people feel about him,” Ro said. “Especially considering how close the first vote was, in order to ensure that our endorsement of Donald Trump still accurately reflects the views of our club members, we have decided to hold a revote.”
Other groups on Grounds have also spoken out against Trump’s comments, as well as the College Republicans’ endorsement.
“I think that they should have never endorsed him in the first place,” University Democrats President Sam Tobin, a fourth-year College student, said. “That being said, I am glad they are considering revoking their endorsement.”
One in Four, an all-male sexual violence prevention group, also spoke out against Trump, though it also stated it is not a political organization. The group called Trump’s words as ‘‘outright and blatant sexism.’’
For the Republican Party, with Trump’s comments, “it is more than just political survival — the party is going to have to regroup and think about its long term image,” Ong-Whaley said.
Members of the College Republicans have until Monday at noon to voice their opinion on whether the organization should revoke their endorsement of Trump.
Ro was unable to comment by press time.
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