Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) pulled her support for Donald Trump Saturday morning after a 2005 video surfaced Friday showing Trump making crude comments about how he seduced women.
I will not vote for Donald Trump. Read my statement here: pic.twitter.com/F8zajgDZpg
— Kelly Ayotte (@KellyAyotte) October 8, 2016
“I wanted to be able to support my party’s nominee, chosen by the people because I feel strongly that we need a change in direction,” Ayotte said in the statement. “However, I’m a mom and an American first, and I cannot and will not support a candidate for president who brags about degrading and assaulting women.”
Ayotte is facing one of the toughest re-election battles in the U.S. Senate this cycle and her support of Trump has been a key place where her Democratic opponent Gov. Maggie Hassan has criticized her.
During a debate flap earlier this week, Ayotte said that Trump was a good role model for children. Then, she issued a statement that she “misspoke.”