In a Monday phone call, Republican National Committee Chair Reince Priebus assured RNC members that the party will continue to support Donald Trump’s campaign despite the release of a 2005 tape in which Trump can be heard making vulgar comments about women.
According to the New York Times’ Jonathan Martin and Politico’s Alex Isenstadt, Priebus said on the call that the party has not changed its coordinated campaign efforts for the presidential race.
NEWS: RNC STANDS w TRUMP@Reince tells RNC members on call
“I want to make it verry clear that the rnc is in full coordination” w Trump
— Jonathan Martin (@jmartNYT) October 10, 2016
Reince on RNC members-only call, per source: “nothing has changed in regard with our relationship with the campaign.”
— Alex Isenstadt (@politicoalex) October 10, 2016
MORE REINCE: “Over the last 24-48 hrs there have been a lot of false runors that we didnt want to engage in. Nothing has changed in terms..”
— Alex Isenstadt (@politicoalex) October 10, 2016
REINCE: “We are in full coordination with the Trump campaign. We have a great relationship with them.”
— Alex Isenstadt (@politicoalex) October 10, 2016
Priebus also shot down rumors about discussions to replace Trump as the nominee.
REINCE: “There wa no meeting over the weekend about having a vote or using the rules to replace the nominee.”
— Alex Isenstadt (@politicoalex) October 10, 2016
REINCE: “No mechanism exists” to replace nominee –
and even if it did, its impractical.”— Alex Isenstadt (@politicoalex) October 10, 2016
Priebus indicated that Trump’s apology for his past comments was sincere and sufficient.
More Reince: “like all of you, i dont condone what was said in the video.”
— Alex Isenstadt (@politicoalex) October 10, 2016
Reince on RNC call: Trump apology was “heartfelt”
— Alex Isenstadt (@politicoalex) October 10, 2016
Trump “wanted a chance to address this issue directly over the weekend without a lot of cross talk. I think the issue was taken care of…”
— Alex Isenstadt (@politicoalex) October 10, 2016
The RNC chair did not take questions, saying that members of the press were likely on the call, which suggests the audience for the his remarks was as much the press as it was the RNC membership.
.@reince sez he won’t take Qs from RNC members bc there’s “almost a guarantee that there’s press on this call” (he’s right)
— Jonathan Martin (@jmartNYT) October 10, 2016
Reince on call with RNC members: “You understand that there’s almost a guarantee that there’s press on this call..”
— Reid J. Epstein (@reidepstein) October 10, 2016
