Hurd, facing tight race, urges Trump to quit
Several Texas Republicans joined in the bipartisan condemnation of Donald Trump’s lewd remarks in a leaked video, with at least one withdrawing support for the presidential candidate.
U.S. Rep. Will Hurd, following the lead of other down-ballot Republicans in tight races across the nation, repudiated Trump on Saturday evening after initially stopping short of calling for him to step down.
“I never endorsed Donald Trump, and I cannot in good conscience support or vote for a man who degrades women, insults minorities and has no clear path to keep our country safe. He should step aside for a true conservative to beat Hillary Clinton,” he said.
Hurd, the only Texas Republican in a contested race, faces a strong re-election challenge for his West Texas seat from former congressman Pete Gallego, who also has sought to tie the San Antonio Republican to Trump’s controversial remarks about Mexicans.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee released a statement calling Hurd’s remarks “too late.”
“Will Hurd’s desperate and politically-calculated maneuver to try to save his political career comes way too late,” wrote Javier Gamboa of the DCCC. “To finally come up with a decision about his Party’s standard-bearer — and still not vote for Hillary Clinton — is not bravery, it is not principled, and it is not worthy of Texas voters he’s supposed to serve.”
Gov. Greg Abbott tweeted: “Deeply disturbing rhetoric by Trump. An insult to all women & contrary to GOP values. Absent true contrition, consequences will be dire.”
The state’s senior U.S. senator, John Cornyn, criticized Trump in a tweet Saturday morning bemoaning the state of the race.
“I am disgusted by Mr. Trump’s words about women: our daughters, sisters and mothers,” said Cornyn, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate. “I am profoundly disappointed by the race to the bottom this presidential campaign has become.”
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, a once-bitter GOP rival, initially responded with a Tweet on Friday that said: “These comments are disturbing and inappropriate, there is simply no excuse for them.”
On Saturday, it was reported that Cruz was reassessing his support of Trump and considering rescinding his recent endorsement.
Austin U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, a possible 2018 challenger for Cruz’s Senate seat, issued a statement on Saturday: “As the father of five children, including four daughters, I find Donald Trump’s comments reprehensible and unacceptable,” he said. “This is not an example we should set for our children or an image we should project of our country.”