The Republican National Committee is in βfull coordinationβ with Donald Trump despite many media reports stating the opposite, says Bruce Ash, a committee member from Tucson.
βWhatever youβve been reading in Politico, The Hill or the Washington Post it is a bunch of bull ...,β Ash said Monday.
He said neither the RNC nor vice presidential candidate Indiana Gov. Mike Pence need to be in a position to apologize for what Trump said in a 2005 conversation while riding in a bus to a soap opera taping. Trumpβs vulgar comments about women in it sparked a wave of criticism after it was leaked Friday.
Ash went on to say speculation that Pence would drop out of the race was made by people distant from the campaign. βThe vice president was never serious about leaving the nomination, that is a bunch of bull, too,β Ash said. (See story, Page A7.)
On Saturday, Sen. John McCain joined several other prominent Republicans in withdrawing support from Trump.
Ash said he still plans to vote for McCain, but worries the senator might lose support for refusing to back the partyβs nominee.
βI think voters who are Trump supporters would hold their nose and vote for McCain,β he said. βThere will be some voters who will punish him, and this is going to be a close election.β
McCain reacted too harshly, Ash said.
βHe should have waited until the fire died down and kept his cool. And he didnβt, he reacted,β Ash said.
Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake has also disavowed Trump, but is not facing re-election in this cycle.
Ash declined to discuss House Speaker Paul Ryanβs announcement Monday that he would no longer defend Trump. He praised the βmore adultβ way that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell handled the issue.
βHe didnβt get rattled when the bull started flying, he kept his cool,β Ash said of McConnell.
As for the RNC pulling funding for Trump, as reported by Politico this weekend, Ash said that also was inaccurate.
On Monday, the chairman of Arizonaβs Republican Party, Robert Graham, said heβll keep on supporting Trump as well. In a lengthy statement, Graham said thereβs no way to defend Trumpβs comments, but βlet him who is without sin cast the first stone.β