By Chip Brownlee
The Alabama Political Reporter
MONTGOMERY—More Republican members of the Alabama Congressional Delegation are adding on to condemnations against the Republican Presidential Nominee Donald Trump.
Rep. Bradley Byrne (R), Rep. Martha Roby (R) and Gov. Robert Bentley have abandoned the controversial Republican candidate.
“It is now clear that Donald Trump is not fit to be President of the United States and cannot defeat Hillary Clinton,” Byrne said this afternoon. “I believe he should step aside and allow Governor Pence to lead the Republican ticket.”
Byrne’s denouncement follows the emergence of a 2005 recording in which Trump brags about being a “star” who can “do anything to women,” among other extremely lewd conversation pieces. The Washington Post obtained the recording yesterday afternoon.
“Donald Trump’s comments regarding women were disgraceful and appalling,” Byrne said. “There are absolutely no circumstances under which it would ever be appropriate to speak of women in such a way.”
Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley said today he can’t support the Republican nominee either.
“I certainly won’t vote for Hillary Clinton, but I cannot and will not vote for Donald Trump,” Bentley told The Montgomery Advertiser. APR has reached out to Bentley’s office for additional comments.
Byrne joined Roby this afternoon in his condemnation. Roby, who had unenthusiastically supported Trump thus far in the campaign, denounced Trump first Saturday morning.
“Donald Trump’s behavior makes him unacceptable as a candidate for president, and I won’t vote for him,” Roby said this morning.
No other members of the Alabama Congressional Delegation have announced if they would continue their support for Trump. Rep. Terri Sewell, Alabama’s only Democrat, never supported him in the first place. She endorsed Clinton during the primaries.
The abandonments come in a state that went overwhelmingly in Trump’s favor. Trump beat his closest challenger, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.), by more than 20 percentage points. Trump won the state with 43.4 percent of the vote. Cruz took 21 percent and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) took 19 percent.
