Another Republican member of Congress has pulled their support from GOP nominee Donald Trump following several months of gaffes and controversies that raised questions about his candidacy. Senator Susan Collins from Maine has served in the Senate since 1997 and joins several other high profile names in condemning the nominee, outlining her position in an op-ed with The Washington Post:
With the passage of time, I have become increasingly dismayed by his constant stream of cruel comments and his inability to admit error or apologize. But it was his attacks directed at people who could not respond on an equal footing — either because they do not share his power or stature or because professional responsibility precluded them from engaging at such a level — that revealed Mr. Trump as unworthy of being our president.
My conclusion about Mr. Trump’s unsuitability for office is based on his disregard for the precept of treating others with respect, an idea that should transcend politics. Instead, he opts to mock the vulnerable and inflame prejudices by attacking ethnic and religious minorities. Three incidents in particular have led me to the inescapable conclusion that Mr. Trump lacks the temperament, self-discipline and judgment required to be president.
Collins then goes on to name three specific incidents that solidified her decision on a potential Trump candidacy: the mocking of a reporter with disabilities, the criticism levied at federal judge Gonzalo Curiel on his Mexican heritage, and Trump’s recent verbal sparring with the family of Capt. Humayun Khan. Trump’s lack of “self-restraint” would make an “already perilous world even more so” according to Collins, calling his comments “reckless” and noting that she is tired waiting for the “new” Donald Trump:
I had hoped that we would see a “new” Donald Trump as a general-election candidate — one who would focus on jobs and the economy, tone down his rhetoric, develop more thoughtful policies and, yes, apologize for ill-tempered rants. But the unpleasant reality that I have had to accept is that there will be no “new” Donald Trump, just the same candidate who will slash and burn and trample anything and anyone he perceives as being in his way or an easy scapegoat. Regrettably, his essential character appears to be fixed, and he seems incapable of change or growth.
Collins is joined by Sen. Mark Kirk from Illinois in pulling support from Trump — Kirk pulled his support in June according to CNN — and follows prominent Republicans like John Kasich, the Bush family, and previous Republican nominee Mitt Romney in being critical of the nominee’s actions.
(Via The Washington Post)