October 07, 2016 09:23 PM UTC

Rep. Jason Chaffetz Drops Trump; Coffman Makes Desperate Move to Raise Stakes

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• by: Colorado Pols

Pols Note: If you’re finding this link from an external source, you might want to try this updated post with a timeline explanation. Otherwise, read on after the jump…

UPDATE #4: Remember this New York Times story from early August? Coffman is doing it again:

In the past week, the campaign of Representative Mike Coffman of Colorado, who represents suburban Denver, began airing a television ad in which he pledges to stand up to Mr. Trump if he becomes president. Other Republicans are expected to follow suit as early as this month.

But even that approach may be insufficient. House Republican officials were furious at Mr. Coffman for not being prepared to answer predictable follow-up questions about whether he still supported Mr. Trump. Democrats responded with an advertisement showing photos of Mr. Coffman and Mr. Trump side by side and urging voters to reject them both.

This is the point of no return for Coffman. He cannot have both the loyalty of Trump supporters and the belief from voters that he has rejected Trump wholeheartedly. You’re either Chaffetz, or Trump.

—–

UPDATE #3: Here is the full text of Coffman’s statement on Friday evening (via CBS4):

“For the good of the country, and to give the Republicans a chance of defeating Hillary Clinton, Mr. Trump should step aside. His defeat at this point seems almost certain. And four years of Hillary Clinton is not what is best for this country. Mr. Trump should put the country first and do the right thing.”

What!?! Mike Coffman STILL WON’T SAY THAT HE DOESN’T SUPPORT TRUMP AND WON’T VOTE FOR HIM. This is not about semantics, because Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz did exactly this earlier tonight:

Congressman Jason Chaffetz said he is withdrawing his support for Donald Trump  Friday after a video surfaced showing the Republican candidate for president making vulgar remarks in 2005 about touching and kissing women without their consent. Chaffetz, a Republican representing Utah’s Third Congressional District, appeared on Fox 13 News at Nine Friday, saying: “I’m out. I can no longer in good conscience endorse this person for president. It is some of the most abhorrent and offensive comments that you can possibly imagine.”

This is really, really, really simple, Rep. Coffman: You either say publicly that you do not support Donald Trump and will not vote for him for President…or you don’t say enough. Period. Rep. Chaffetz set the bar tonight; nothing less is an acceptable answer. You are now either completely against Trump, or you are with him. —– UPDATE #2: Rep. Mike Coffman  makes a desperate move, calling on Donald Trump to step down as a candidate for President — the only move he could make without actually having to say that he won’t vote for Trump.

BREAKING:@RepMikeCoffman calls for @realDonaldTrump to step aside “for the good of the country & to give GOP a chance to defeat Clinton.”

— Shaun Boyd (@CBS4Shaun) October 8, 2016

—– UPDATE: Whatever Rep. Mike Coffman decides to eventually say, he’s essentially screwed because he still hasn’t disavowed Trump completely. Coffman could jump up and say, “I will not vote for Donald Trump and will actively work against him,” but it doesn’t change the fact that he waited this long to take a stand.

Rep Jason @jasoninthehouse Chaffetz says he won’t vote for @realDonaldTrump. I’ve asked @RepMikeCoffman but no response yet #copolitics https://t.co/RwRKHAP7NE

— Ernest Lee Luning (@eluning) October 8, 2016

 —– Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz publicly dropped his endorsement of Donald Trump on Friday with very strong words. From Fox 13 in Utah:

Congressman Jason Chaffetz said he is withdrawing his support for Donald Trump  Friday after a video surfaced showing the Republican candidate for president making vulgar remarks in 2005 about touching and kissing women without their consent. Chaffetz, a Republican representing Utah’s Third Congressional District, appeared on Fox 13 News at Nine Friday, saying: “I’m out. I can no longer in good conscience endorse this person for president. It is some of the most abhorrent and offensive comments that you can possibly imagine.” Rep. Chaffetz said he and his wife have a 15-year-old daughter, and he said if he can’t look her in the eye and tell her about what Trump said he can’t endorse the man… …Earlier Friday, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert also reacted to the footage and stated he would not vote for Donald Trump. In the video, Trump makes several vulgar remarks and talks about touching or kissing women without their consent. “You know I’m automatically attracted to beautiful — I just start kissing them,” Trump says in the footage. “It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait… And when you’re a star they let you do it. You can do anything.”

Now, compare that to the statement that Congressman Mike Coffman (R-Aurora) just made about Trump:

BREAKING: Rep Mike Coffman @coffmanforco calls @realDonaldTrump remarks about women “deeply offensive and disgusting” #copolitics pic.twitter.com/k7PapUwMIu

— Ernest Lee Luning (@eluning) October 8, 2016

The statements from Rep. Chaffetz tonight make anything else — anything else — just a word salad after Donald Trump’s horribly crude words about women were made public today. Coffman made his own weak statement about Trump at the same time that Rep. Chaffetz was drawing his big-assed line in the sand. Nothing short of dropping support for Trump unequivocally will matter from here on out — not for any Republican House Member running for re-election, and especially not for those in the most hotly-contested House races in the country. Like Mike Coffman.