Compendium Of Pax Posts About Donald Trump, Updated July 31, 2016
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Could Donald Trump Drop Out? GOP Officials 'Actively Exploring' How to Replace Nominee If He Resigns
People Magazine
Donald Trump is nothing if not unpredictable – and his increasingly erratic behavior now has senior GOP officials "actively exploring" how to replace him on the ballot should he unexpectedly drop out of the race, ABC News reported Wednesday.
The new report has set Republican circles abuzz with speculation about what could happen if Trump withdrew – or whether such a thing is even likely.
Trump, for his part, is saying he has no intention to leave his campaign for the White House. Spokesperson Hope Hicks tells PEOPLE of the speculation, "There is no truth to this whatsoever."
ABC political correspondent Jonathan Karl, who first reported the claims that GOP officials are exploring a replacement for Trump, says: "The answer is they can't force him out."
"He would have to go out voluntarily, then it would be the 168 members of the RNC through a complicated process that would pick a new candidate. It would have to happen by early September."
Karl noted that the unprecedented contingency plans come as Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus is attempting to rein in Trump amid his unpopular feud with the family of slain Muslim-American Army Capt. Humayun Khan.
Trump's vow Tuesday that he would not endorse House Speaker Paul Ryan and Sen. John McCain in their re-election bids has only deepened the divide between the GOP nominee and his party. Both Ryan and McCain have spoken out against Trump amid the Khan controversy but neither has revoked his endorsement of Trump.
NBC News reported that Priebus, who is close with Ryan, is "apoplectic" over Trump's refusal to back the house speaker and McCain. "Priebus called several Trump staffers, including campaign manager Paul Manafort, to express his 'extreme displeasure' with Trump's comments," a top Republican source told the outlet.
ABC News also reported that Priebus called Trump on Tuesday to "express frustration" over his campaign and his treatment of the Khan family, according to several GOP sources.
ABC News chief political analyst Matthew Dowd tells PEOPLE he believes that the possibility of Trump dropping out "is a dream of the anti-Trump folks."
Pointing to the fact that most polls show Trump trailing Hillary Clinton by only5 to 8 points, Dowd said, "Why would he drop out? And we are in such a unpredictable, disruptive time in America – it makes no sense to me why he would drop out. The establishment GOP needs to finally comes to terms with who their nominee is – and fantasizing about rescue scenarios from their current reality probably isn't helpful."
But GOP consultant Jean Card, a former Bush administration official, tells PEOPLE, "This type of speculation or planning is not frivolous, given what we know about Mr. Trump: that if he can't win, he doesn't want to play – and that he doesn't play by anyone's rules. His attitude: Republicans be damned, RNC be damned, election rules be damned, polls be damned – unless they show him ahead."
"If he actually dropped out, and the RNC votes on his replacement," she continued, "I imagine Ted Cruz would be competitive – he came in second, after all, and there would presumably be interest among delegates in representing primary voters."
What would really make things interesting, Card added, is if the RNC went a totally different route and invited Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson to become their nominee. "It would be in Republicans' best interests, since Johnson will likely be taking a lot of #NeverTrump Republican votes in November," Card said.
RNC rules stipulate that committee members must vote on any replacement candidate and that "no candidate shall be chosen to fill any such vacancy except upon receiving a majority of the votes entitled to be cast in the election."
Potential candidates, according to CNBC, include Paul Ryan, Mike Pence and Ted Cruz, who was Trump's runner-up in the GOP primary.
Trump tweeted early Wednesday morning: "There is great unity in my campaign, perhaps greater than ever before. I want to thank everyone for your tremendous support. Beat Crooked H!"
The new report has set Republican circles abuzz with speculation about what could happen if Trump withdrew – or whether such a thing is even likely.
Trump, for his part, is saying he has no intention to leave his campaign for the White House. Spokesperson Hope Hicks tells PEOPLE of the speculation, "There is no truth to this whatsoever."
ABC political correspondent Jonathan Karl, who first reported the claims that GOP officials are exploring a replacement for Trump, says: "The answer is they can't force him out."
"He would have to go out voluntarily, then it would be the 168 members of the RNC through a complicated process that would pick a new candidate. It would have to happen by early September."
Karl noted that the unprecedented contingency plans come as Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus is attempting to rein in Trump amid his unpopular feud with the family of slain Muslim-American Army Capt. Humayun Khan.
Related Video: Family of Fallen Muslim Soldier Fire Back at Trump After He Made Comments About Wife
"I am told that RNC chairman Reince Priebus is furious – he has had multiple discussions with Trump telling him he needs to drastically change course," Karl said.
Trump's vow Tuesday that he would not endorse House Speaker Paul Ryan and Sen. John McCain in their re-election bids has only deepened the divide between the GOP nominee and his party. Both Ryan and McCain have spoken out against Trump amid the Khan controversy but neither has revoked his endorsement of Trump.
NBC News reported that Priebus, who is close with Ryan, is "apoplectic" over Trump's refusal to back the house speaker and McCain. "Priebus called several Trump staffers, including campaign manager Paul Manafort, to express his 'extreme displeasure' with Trump's comments," a top Republican source told the outlet.
ABC News also reported that Priebus called Trump on Tuesday to "express frustration" over his campaign and his treatment of the Khan family, according to several GOP sources.
ABC News chief political analyst Matthew Dowd tells PEOPLE he believes that the possibility of Trump dropping out "is a dream of the anti-Trump folks."
Pointing to the fact that most polls show Trump trailing Hillary Clinton by only5 to 8 points, Dowd said, "Why would he drop out? And we are in such a unpredictable, disruptive time in America – it makes no sense to me why he would drop out. The establishment GOP needs to finally comes to terms with who their nominee is – and fantasizing about rescue scenarios from their current reality probably isn't helpful."
But GOP consultant Jean Card, a former Bush administration official, tells PEOPLE, "This type of speculation or planning is not frivolous, given what we know about Mr. Trump: that if he can't win, he doesn't want to play – and that he doesn't play by anyone's rules. His attitude: Republicans be damned, RNC be damned, election rules be damned, polls be damned – unless they show him ahead."
"If he actually dropped out, and the RNC votes on his replacement," she continued, "I imagine Ted Cruz would be competitive – he came in second, after all, and there would presumably be interest among delegates in representing primary voters."
RNC rules stipulate that committee members must vote on any replacement candidate and that "no candidate shall be chosen to fill any such vacancy except upon receiving a majority of the votes entitled to be cast in the election."
Potential candidates, according to CNBC, include Paul Ryan, Mike Pence and Ted Cruz, who was Trump's runner-up in the GOP primary.
Trump tweeted early Wednesday morning: "There is great unity in my campaign, perhaps greater than ever before. I want to thank everyone for your tremendous support. Beat Crooked H!"
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