Tuesday, August 2, 2016

First Read: A Last Exit Ramp for the GOP?

First Read is a morning briefing from Meet the Press and the NBC Political Unit on the day's most important political stories and why they matter.
 
A last exit ramp for the GOP?

Donald Trump's confounding war with a Gold Star family -- earning condemnation from veterans groups and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle - has started to have a distinct air over the last 36 hours of a situation that's unraveling. It's the latest in a long list of fights that have so far failed to sink Trump's candidacy, but something about this particular controversy feels different. It's pushing some neutral groups off the sidelines (see the nonpartisan VFW's strongly-worded response), it's undermining the GOP's mantle as the party of reverence to the military and national security, and it's putting Republicans like House Speaker Paul Ryan in a particularly torturous bind as they try to defend the Khan family without so much as naming their own nominee. Mike Pence, Trump's own VP, faced a question about Trump's treatment of the Khans last night from a military mom who was booed by the crowd as Pence offered words of solace but no apology. But so far, Republicans aren't going so far as to un-endorse their nominee as a result of the Khan controversy. (Not even John McCain, who offered the most biting statement targeting Trump yet!) 

Click here for the full article. 

No comments: