By Monique Jones
The Birmingham Times
Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton now leads her opponent, Donald Trump, by 12 points in the latest Monmouth University national poll.
Among registered voters, 46 percent support Clinton while 34 percent support Trump. Among likely voters, the gap is wider by one point; 50 percent of those likely to vote this November back Clinton, while 37 percent are leaning towards Trump.
Clinton’s lead has much to do with recent sustained attacks from Democrats and Republicans alike on Trump’s temperament after Trump bullied the Gold Star parents of fallen solider Capt. Humayun Khan. Trump has also threatened party unity by initially stating to The Washington Post that he wouldn’t support Republican Majority Speaker Paul Ryan and U.S. Senator John McCain. In an effort to turn the tide in his campaign, Trump later said during an Aug. 5 rally that he would, in fact, support and endorse Ryan and McCain.
Several GOP members have since stated they would either refrain from voting for Trump or would vote for Clinton. Lezlee Westine, former aide to President George W. Bush, said in a statement.”Our nation faces a unique set of challenges that require steady and experienced leadership. That is why today I am personally supporting Hillary Clinton.”
This statement echoes the sentiments of other Republicans, such as New York Representative Richard Hanna, Mark Slater, who served under McCain as Chief of Staff and as a senior adviser in McCain’s 2008 presidential run, Frank Lavin, who was a member of both the George H.W. Bush and Ronald Reagan presidencies, former South Dakota Senator Larry Pressler, and Henry Paulson, the former Treasury secretary for President George W. Bush. Other GOP defectors include former Jeb Bush adviser Sally Bradshaw, Hewlett Packard Enterprise CEO Meg Whitman, and Maria Comella, who is an aide to New Jersey Governor and Trump supporter Chris Christie.
Former Michigan Governor William Milliken and Maine Senator Susan Collins have also decided not to support Trump. “…Donald Trump does not reflect historical Republican values nor the inclusive approach to governing that is critical to healing the divisions in our country,” wrote Collins in an op-ed for The Washington Post. Collins also cited Trump’s “complete disregard for common decency.”
Trump’s bid for president hit an even bigger hurdle Monday as 50 Republican national security officials issued a statement repudiating Trump. “From a foreign policy perspective, Donald Trump is not qualified to be President and Commander-in-Chief,” state the officials, who cite their belief that Trump “would be a dangerous President and would put at risk our country’s national security and well-being.”
