**Similar releases sent to targeted districts across the country**
“The big thing is to defend the top of the ticket” – A Not so Easy Task for Mike Pence & House Republicans
Editorial Pages Blast Trump Ahead of VP Debate
Following the first debate, the San Diego Union Tribune and Arizona Republic joined papers like the Dallas Morning News, and the Cincinnati Enquirer in breaking long streaks of endorsing Republican candidates for President.
And over the past few days, the Washington Post has written more scathing editorials on Trump. One took him to task for “normalizing bigotry.” The other made it abundantly clear just how much damage he could do if he were president to those who might vote for him despite knowing “that Donald Trump is ignorant, unprepared and bigoted.” Yesterday the Post called out Trump for his “alarming” contempt for democracy, as evidenced by his “direct incitement of his supporters to show up in minority communities on Election Day armed with conspiracy theories and hostile attitudes — and who knows what else.”
Tonight, Trump’s running mate will have to answer for all this and more on the debate stage, but so will House Republicans as they return to their districts for the homestretch. They, too, hitched themselves to the Trump ticket by outright embracing him, tepidly supporting him, or pretending to oppose him while working to tear down Secretary Clinton.
“Tonight’s debate will be the most high-profile demonstration of what it looks like to stand by and support Donald Trump since his fat-shaming, sexist meltdown last week. Mike Pence will be the one on stage defending his standard-bearer this time, but one can imagine that voters will want House Republicans to answer many of the same questions,” said Christie Stephenson of the DCCC.
Around the country, Republican House Members and candidates are supporting Trump, usually for no reason better than “He’s not Hillary Clinton.” Others who purport to oppose Trump are equally opposed to Clinton, which is really no better than backing Trump. One such Republican – Bob Dold of Illinois – went so far as to headline a “Beat Hillary” fundraiser. As the Post made clear:
Your support of the Republican presidential nominee may be motivated by dislike of the Democratic alternative, disgust with the Washington establishment or a desire to send a message in favor of change. You may not approve of everything Mr. Trump has had to say about nuclear weapons, torture or mass deportations, but you doubt he could implement anything too radical. Congress, the courts, the Constitution — these would keep Mr. Trump in check, you think. Well, think again. A President Trump could, unilaterally, change this country to its core. By remaking U.S. relations with other nations, he could fundamentally reshape the world, too.