Retiring Republican Congressman Scott Rigell (VA08) told the New York Times that he will vote for Gary Johnson in November.
“I’ve always said I will not vote for Donald Trump and I will not vote for Hillary Clinton,” Mr. Rigell said. “I’m going to vote for the Libertarian candidate.”
The Virginia Congressman has gone so far as to say if the party becomes synonymous with Donald Trump he will no longer say he’s a Republican.
“Then I’m done,” Mr. Rigell said, “and I’ll be an independent.”
Rigell is the second Virginia Congressman to announce he will not support Trump. Congresswoman Barbara Comstock refused to attend the Republican Convention in Cleveland and she has made it clear she will not support the nominee.
Congressman Rigell was the second Republican Congressman this week to withdraw support for Trump. Republican Representative Richard Hanna of New York announced that he will be voting for Clinton. He too is retiring at the end of this term.
“Secretary Clinton has issues that depending on where one stands can be viewed as great or small. But she stands and has stood for causes bigger than herself for a lifetime,” Hanna wrote. “That matters. Mrs. Clinton has promoted many of the issues I have been committed to over the years including expanding education and supporting women’s health care.”
Republican Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger has also announced that he will not back Trump.
“I just don’t see how I get to Donald Trump anymore,” Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Illinois, said in an interview on CNN’s “The Situation Room.”
Kinzinger is running for re-election in a district that voted for Trump in the primary. Before Trump criticized the Kahn family Kinzinger had tried to get on board with Trump but that was the last straw for the Congressman,
“Then this spat, this unbelievable spat with the family of a fallen soldier, a fallen soldier who swore to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, wouldn’t even initially say we honor the family for their service. Immediately [he] took it as what it was to him, an affront to him. Between that, blaming George W. Bush for 9/11, and all the other sins we’ve seen in the past, Donald Trump for me is beginning to cross a lot of red lines in the unforgivable on politics,” Kinzinger explained.
Kinzinger went on to say he will not vote for Hillary Clinton and will either write-in someone or “sit this one out”.
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[…] It was rumored that the Virginia Beach Republican Committee was prepared at tonight’s meeting to remove Rigell from the Committee and the party for statements on which we previously posted. […]
Rigell refers to a ‘spat’ between Trump and the Khan family. To give him the benefit of the doubt, he said this before the news that Dr. Khan is a beneficiary of the Clinton ‘Family Business’, and is a staunch supporter of Shari’ah Law being superior to all others. The good doctor failed to understand Trump’s words
Hey Puppets — Beloved Leader is endorsing the rebels you want to lynch, one by one. Get ready to recalibrate yourselves.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/clinton-appeared-bullish-at-friday-speech-as-republican-infighting-continued/2016/08/05/43628a88-5b27-11e6-831d-0324760ca856_story.html
Holding his enemies closer?
Ha! More like holding his lips to their asses!
Guess we will have to see who’s lips are where after the election.
What happens later doesn’t alter what just happened. The defiant king of the burn-it-down, hang-em-all, never-on-bended-knee campaigning just bent his knees and smooched. He simply can’t make it without the support of GOP legislators and their voters. No President passes legislation without Congress, and many have had their ability to operate held back by legislation through appropriation.
Trump can’t go it alone. Time to put the torches down, mob.
And we are supposed to care, why? Good riddance, it is so much fun cleaning out the party!
Thank you Trump.
Ha! If establishment Republicans, the kind who habitually play the New World Order Globalist game and who continually vote Marxist/Socialist won’t vote for Trump, then maybe I should!
Yes indeed, if the Republican elites continue to ratchet up their opposition to Trump, I just may vote Republican for president once again. This would be my second Republican vote for president in 35 years.
Globalism is another word for international socialism. I prefer to make America Great Again than to turn it into some destructive version of the EU.
Right! What you say!
A number of years ago, I heard the comment made that America was being Sovietized. Having been in the old Soviet Union in 1968, that remark turned my head. The remark was more dead on than I was able to appreciate at the time.
I too would like to see America great again, but to do so, the people would have to be both well-educated as they once were, and also virtuous. But I don’t think that this will happen any time soon, if at all.
The picture is bleak, but the times are interesting.
Thanks for writing.
You are so right. The liberals have completely destroyed education in the country and they’ve dragged down the morals of everyone. No one under 40 or 50 is well educated and they certainly aren’t virtuous!
Funny thing is Rigell went to meet with Trump years ago after the 2012 race.. to raise $?
Are you and Steve and Scott having fun electing Hillary, Jeanine?
Steve wrote last week that Trump would win!
wonder if he might tempted to run for governor as a third party if Stewart is the nominee …
Next year should be very interesting and a heck of a lot more fun than this year! Next year we will have better choices on the ballot.
And, if Trump does not win? We will throw “better choices” (establishment) to the dogs as payment for turning their back on Trump.
I doubt that the dogs will have anything to do with them either, probably throw em’ back.
#NeverGillespie
So are they going to get kicked out of the Republican party? Isn’t that how it works here? You don’t support the nominee and you get kicked out?
Republicans are ok if they don’t support the candidate but they will be ‘deemed to have resigned’ the party if they support someone else. Scott Rigell will be out of the party but it doesn’t sound like much cares.
So will Barbara Comstock be “deemed to have resigned”?
Only if she supports another candidate against Trump. Republicans do not have to support the nominee but they can’t support a candidate who is running against a Republican.
I have seen guys like Rigell here in my area. Suddenly, they look behind them to see who is supporting them and the answer is no one. It is very lonely and ones political future is rather dim. If you can’t support the nominee, just shut your yap.
3 turncoats.
#NeverGillespie
I wonder if any of these reps have met or corresponded with Trump? Most of the folks who have gotten to know him speak well of his demeanor and character. Perhaps some good will could grow if they make an effort to learn for themselves.
So what if he’s nice behind the scenes?
A man who was behind the scenes at the rally where the veteran gave Trump his Purple Heart medal said that Trump spoke very softly, was awed by the offer, tried to refuse, then took it only after the vet insisted. He remembered people’s names he’d met only once or twice, and was respectful. He also asked for feedback and opinions on how he could win in VA. And listened to the answers.
These reports tell me that he is not just a face in the camera, but sincere in his efforts to win the election…and govern well. I still look at the glaring difference between how he treats people of all types, and how Hillary does. There is no comparison. Then, there was that debate, where Carson couldn’t hear his name called over all the audience noise, and Trump saw his distress/uncertainty, and stood beside him until they called him to the stage. No one else realized what had happened. This showed me that Trump has a keen sense and understanding of the feelings and actions of others. This is a mark of a good businessman and an effective leader. After 7-1/2 years of Mr. ‘Look-Down-His-Nose-At-Everybody’, I’m not interested in Mrs. ‘Get-The-H***-Out-Of-My-Way-You-M*****-F******-B******!’
Yes, Bill Clinton was always very kind and charming too.
Why do you hate, Jeanine?
I don’t hate anyone John. Although I don’t much like either of our candidates for President. I got no dog in this hunt which is very liberating.
Oh, so you are not an American citizen? That would explain a great deal.
Yeah, I guess not, my family has only been here since 1619.
The first time I heard Bill speak, I thought he sounded like some snake at a bar, a la: “My wife doesn’t understand me, but Baby, YOU do!” Billy Boy was smooth in public. In private, well…ask Juanita Broaddrick.
Trump’s typically stupid response to the vet who offered him the purple heart: “I’ve always wanted one of those.”
As the granddaughter of a Purple Heart recipient who was totally disabled, Trump’s remarks broke my heart. We cherish my grandfather’s Purple Heart.
Trimp sais “I’ve always wanted one of these.” Might have been good intention, but either he was ignorant of the criteria for awarding Purple Hearts, or he can’t think first and speak later.
Another Purple Heart recipient started a GoFundMe page to send Trump to a combat zone so he can get his own Purple Heart. Will Trump be as gracious this time?
http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_57a4cc5ae4b03ba6801239b8
It matters how you treat people when nobody is watching. Hillary is vicious and ugly in private.
Yes, I agree, but I care far more about how they treat the country and the citizens.
I guess you will find out after January.
Some people will assert that how our candudates treat people in private matters. Which is a stupid thing to say if the candidates in question are indecent in public. And they’ll probably assert Hillary Clinton is vicious and ugly in private, a tall claim for two reasons: first, if we know it happened then it wasn’t in private. Alternately, it suggests they have been in private with Hillary Clinton, when the most exclusive privacy they have experienced is at the McDonald’s where they serve fries.
It does appear he can be very kind and humble, behind the scenes, and when the conversation’s outcome has no bearing in his ego. But how often will the President be afforded the chance to work under those conditions?
Trump is just not ready for the rough and tumble of politics. No one should enter politics at the level of President. He has no experience and he’s very thin skinned. That just won’t work in the Presidency.
I understand. It is sorta like Comstock, Gillespie, 16 other Republican presidential candidates. Just plain not qualified, for various reasons?
The establishment threw over a $137,000,000 at Jeb, over a $112,000,00 at the lying Canadian Cruz, over $111,000,000 at Cuban pro-amnesty Rubio, and couldn’t buy them the White House. But, I guess you say they were qualified, Jeanine?
I will not feel bad about voting Democrat in the future as payback for not supporting Trump.
Like “short circuit” Hillary is qualified? Hillary is now lying about her lies, but qualified?
Ed Gillespie was part of the Bush 43′ administration that looted and trashed America, and wrecked the middle-east. Who does he think he is to start out his elected office career as Governor? Just plain not qualified!
Barbara Comstock, more Democrat that anything else. Not qualified to run as a Conservative. However, she is very qualified to run as a Democrat.
#NeverGillespie
#NeverComstock
He beat out the other 16 candidates in the Primaries. Whatever he’s been doing, it’s worked so far. He also has broad experience with business dealings, and can probably spot an underhanded player at a distance.
Yes, he was able to secure 42% of the Republican vote. That may not be enough to win the election.
42%…against more than a dozen opponents? He never ran one-on-one against Ted or Jeb or Marco or Ben. How about if we get behind him, instead of running to the Democrat-funded Johnson?
When speaking with families of fallen soldiers, leading the Prayer Breakfast, and any solemn occasion.
Exactly — because those activities appear in the President’s job description as “etc.”
Those things fall under the heading of ‘etc’??? Solemnity was exemplified by Reagan’s speech at Normandy and Bush’s quiet visits to wounded soldiers. Their demeanor when addressing the sacrifice so many willingly gave was full of both gratitude and resolve.
Trump showed disbelief at first, when offered the medal, and tried to talk the man out of doing so. I don’t think he’d quite gotten over that when he said he’d ‘always wanted’ one. Sometimes, people stumble over their words, but I never saw or heard any disrespect nor flippant attitude from The Donald.
Good luck giving me one example of Hillary or Bath House Barry showing respect to their ‘lessers’ behind the scenes or elsewhere.
I don’t know how many times I’ve gone down the “two wrongs don’t make a right” path, but nothing Trump does can be rationalized by actions taken by Obama or Clinton.
Reagan’s speeches weren’t effective simply because he oozed dignity — Reagan’s speechest were in part great because he Practiced and he didn’t ad lib like Trump does!
But absolutely “etc.” Not as important as knowing what state you’re in, or knowing the basic fundamentals of international military security, or the suicide of trade wars.
Nowhere near as important as Reagan keeping his cool with Gorbachev in Iceland, or staying cool countless times with Tip O’Neil when a bigger ego would have run discourse Right. Off. The. Tracks.
Wait…are you insinuating that Trump has no skill at NEGOTIATING??? Okay, this just got surreal. I never said that two wrongs made a right. Trump has been observed being good to people when he didn’t know he was on camera. The offer of the medal was not planned by Trump’s campaign, so OF COURSE he didn’t have a smooth, polished ‘thank you’ speech pre-printed or memorized or on a TelePrompter. You seem to be certain of Trump’s knowledge and understanding of a few issues, but if it’s as accurate as the media’s portrayal of Reagan ‘storming off’ from Gorbachev at Reykjavik, I’ll pass.
Reagan ad libbed all the time, btw.
Reagan subscribed to Mark Twain’s adage about the preparation needed for extemporaneous speaking. He looked like he was ad libbing, but he wasn’t. Some people talk about Trump like he was their teen idol, for crying out loud…
Look at what you just did — “thank you” — not hard to say, and unadorned by a run-on mouth, it works almost anywhere. If only he could master it — saying something nice and then shutting up, right?
But he doesn’t. That’s why he’s almost never seen behaving with humility, and so often requires translation by his adoring fans — “No I know it looked bad but Really what Trump meant was…” It’s the apology of a wife who covers for the abusive alcoholic husband. If he was such a nice guy, he’d have been caught at it more than once, and his acts wouldn’t require interpreters.
And,Trump’s skill at negotiating? Remember it was his book about him. What were the chances it would be called “The Art of The Blustery Rich Loudmouth Who Would Be Richer If He Had Just Put His Money In The Bank?”
How many people would he have employed, if he’d left his money in the bank…instead of risking it? How many people would have started/expanded their businesses…if he hadn’t written those books? How many ‘what ifs’ are you going to use to try and prove your point?
I haven’t attempted to put words in Trump’s mouth, btw. I paraphrased the words of an eye-witness to the medal incident. Take your umbrage with him, not me.
You mean the people he employed and then stiffed in the course of bankruptcy? Or the ones he contracted and then refused to pay when the job was completed. Plenty to match each profile.
Not sure where you calculate the net effect of Trump and his business practices. Are you referring to the people he underpayed, the bills he didn’t pay, or the bankrupcy especially he declared to escape with his personal wealth?
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/06/10/dozens-lawsuits-accuse-trump-not-paying-his-bills-reports-claim.html
I don’t take umbrage with Trump’s personal limitations. I do take umbrage at the widespread use of hagiography to make him appear less unsuited to the presidency.
Are you accurately calculating the end result of investing in the market? Are you correctly defining a Chapter 11 filing, or did you mistake it for a Chapter 7? Business deals are known to be *not* guaranteed to make everyone happy every time. That doesn’t make Trump guilty of each allegation, nor does it make him a bad person. We don’t know both sides of the several articles/videos on display, claiming bad deals/nefarious intent.
“Are you calculating the net effect of investing in the market?” No, but if you are using personal investment as evidence of altruism, you are on crack.
What a nonsensical statement! Aiding someone in need, or being gracious, is not a matter of ‘personal investment’: it is a mark of good character.
My comment about the market had to do with your repeating of the canard that Trump would have been richer if he’d put all his money in the bank. Remember: banks INVEST their depositors’ money. That means that it goes into stocks, bonds, start-ups, etc. Ever notice that some stocks (and banks) tank? Since we can’t know which banks his funds might have been deposited in, we can’t accurately calculate his wealth in the posited scenario.
It’s obvious you’re wedded to the concept of trickle-down Economics, which the GOP is finally abandoning because it is a stupid idea. The bottom line is that Trump is born with a silver spoon in his mouth and contrary to his bragging, has been a mediocre creator of wealth.
http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/9368144
Ah, and the reason behind your ‘logic’ emerges at last! ‘Trickle-Down’ was the moniker GHWB gave Reagan’s (Laffer’s) plan, and was inaccurate at best, untruthful at worst. The notion that lowering taxes all around (and removing onerous rules and regs) encourages encourages economic activity AND expands job growth, is verifiable. Are you old enough to recall the double-digit inflation AND interest rates Reagan ‘inherited’ from Carter? By 1983, both had plummeted, and the longest-running postwar period of growth lasted for nearly 12 years. The top tax rate was 70%, which was lowered to 28%. Guess who stopped ‘hoarding’ their wealth?
Picture this: You’d like to start or invest in a business or project, or you get a well-paying job. If it turns a profit (a BIG one), that money will be taxed at 70%. How likely are you to get any return? How likely are you to hire more people or increase manufacturing? How likely are you to keep that venture in the country? How likely are you to try to avoid losing most of what you worked for? Do you pay tithing? 10%+70%=80%. Can you imagine doing all that work, only to be left with (barely) minimum wage? Where’s the incentive to do better?
no, wait…this guy^^ believes that HuffPo is legit.
I know the author to be legit. While you’re checking his background, check on how much Pfizer, or GE, or GM paid in taxes and calculate the actual tax rate. Look at the subsidies oil and pharmaceutical companies drew from the federal government, and talk all night long about the heinous business climate our poor mega corporations must withstand. And then, look at the tax es Trump doesn’t pay. http://www.forbes.com/sites/jenniferwang/2016/06/07/donald-trump-still-receiving-tax-break-meant-for-homeowners-making-under-500000-a-year/#2f7c36682ac1
They are apparently not smart enough to realize it’s not a multiple choice election for who will run the U.S. for the next four years and nominate replacement Justices to the Supreme Court. any vote not cast for the Rpublican Candidate helps Hillary back into the White House.
Givwn that Trump’s political philosophy over the years (based in his campaign donations and his friends) is liberal, where on earth does anybody draw the conclusion that he’s not going to appoint liberal justices?
He said he wouldn’t? The problem is he will have a Democrat Senate which will never allow a conservative Justice. So Trump will have to make a deal on other issues and appoint a justice who is palatable to the liberals.
Trump has yet to make a statement he won’t walk back if it helps him win. If anything, he’s shown a tendency to deny yesterday’s position at the drop of a hat, just to prevail in today’s spat. Expecting him to nominate conservative justices because he implied he would us silky. It has has no “or else” to shape his behavior. What are his supporters going to do? Kick him out of the party? As if he cares.
We have no,idea what the senate will look like. If Trump wins in a landslide, thenmthebsenate will,be majority republican.
Okay, please tell me why Trump would have a Democrat controlled Senate if he wins. I’m not following the logic here.
Trump has released his list of potential SCOTUS appointees. Speaking to friends who have clerked with the Supremes as well as jurists who I respect immensely, the list is very thoughtful and conservative.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-trump-court-list-idUSKCN0YA2XV
I could argue that list is not worth the paper it’s printed on, given his past, but instead I’ll recommend this article, whose author makes the point more comprehensively.
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/08/why-trusting-donald-trump-on-judges-is-folly/494645/
All too true. The never Trumpers are faced with a binary choice – Hillary or Trump. We know with certainty that Hillary will appoint radical liberals to the Supreme Court. We know that Trump has said he will appoint constitutional conservatives and has provided a list of names. I will risk Trump rather than reward Hillary if this is the issue.
When I reach Kingzinger on the ballot, I guess I’ll have to vote 3rd party!