SOME REPUBLICANS NOT AGAINST VOTING FOR CLINTON

Republicans may vote for Clinton after stumbles by billionaire

Washington: Internal party turmoil over Donald Trump spilled into public alarm after unprecedented self-inflicted mistakes by the Republican nominee, as some conservatives prepared to do the unthinkable: vote for Democrat Hillary Clinton.

While “dump Trump” calls have continued since the 2012 Republican nominee Mitt Romney trashed the billionaire’s candidacy early this year, it is unclear whether the trickle of defections to Clinton’s camp will become a flood after a series of bad stumbles by Trump.

A nightmare 48 hours for the embattled Republican flagbearer – he deepened his public feud with the parents of a fallen Muslim American soldier, refused to back House Speaker Paul Ryan’s re-election bid and used crass language while accepting a supporter’s Purple Heart as a gift – has highlighted Republicans’ concerns.

Trump allies openly upbraided their candidate on Wednesday for his inability to stay on message, demanding more self-discipline by the political neophyte.

“He has not made the transition to being the potential president of the United States,” former House speaker Newt Gingrich, a loyal Trump defender, told Fox Business Network on Wednesday.

In another interview, he warned that Trump will hand Clinton the election unless he changes tack.

“Trump is helping her to win by proving he is more unacceptable than she is,” Gingrich told The Washington Post.

Meanwhile, a Fox News poll showed Clinton with a 10 point lead over Trump, at 49 to 39%. Just a month ago that figure stood at six points, Fox News said.

Trump sought to dispel panic earlier Wednesday, reassuring voters at a Daytona Beach, Florida rally that his campaign has “never been so well united”.

A growing list of Clinton converts suggests otherwise.

Prominent tech executive Meg Whitman became the latest high-profile conservative to throw her support behind the former secretary of state, saying that “Donald Trump’s demagoguery has undermined the fabric of our national character”. — AFP