The Slatest

Sens. Kelly Ayotte and Mike Crapo Jump Ship, Rescind Their Trump Support

Sen. Mike Crapo speaks to a reporter after the Senate Republican weekly policy luncheon Nov. 19, 2013, on Capitol Hill.

Alex Wong/Getty Images

Idaho Sen. Mike Crapo and New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte on Saturday rescinded their support for Donald Trump. Let the record show that Crapo was the first Republican senator to withdraw his endorsement, and he joins several fellow Mormons—among them Sen. Mike Lee, Rep. Jason Chaffetz, and Rep. Chris Stewart—in leading a rearguard action against their party’s dirtbag nominee. Ayotte, meanwhile, finally reconciled her irreconcilable support-but-not-endorse contortion regarding Trump. She hopes this means she will no longer have to spend her re-election campaign against Gov. Maggie Hassan trying not to step on rakes. Earlier in the week Ayotte said she would “absolutely” call Trump a role model, then later said she misspoke.

Crapo—who’d once “strongly” supported Trump—called on his party’s presidential candidate to “step aside,” while Ayotte said she would write in Mike Pence.

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