‘Access Hollywood’ Video Tips The Scales For Haslam, Who Asks Trump To Step Aside

“It is time for the good of the nation and the Republican Party for Donald Trump to step aside and let Gov. Mike Pence assume the role as the party’s nominee,” Haslam said in a written statement released Sunday afternoon. “If he does not step aside, I will write in a Republican for the Office of President.”

During the primary, Haslam held his endorsement until the final days when he backed Sen. Marco Rubio. After Trump easily won the state, reporters have pressed the governor on whether he backs the brash billionaire. But Haslam has often avoided commenting on Trump directly, saying instead that the candidate doesn’t need Haslam’s help to win Tennessee and that voters probably don’t care what the governor thinks.

Polls from 
MTSU and 
Vanderbilt released in the last week show Trump with a comfortable lead in the state, though not as large as Mitt Romney’s from 2012.

Still, Haslam has 
chided Trump for loose talk from time to time and openly expressed concerns about certain policy positions. Now he says “those concerns” were what kept him from endorsing Trump — and the 
video released Friday of Trump talking about pursuing a married woman and getting away with fondling because of his celebrity status pushed Haslam to join dozens of other Republicans in opposing Trump.

“I want to emphasize that character in our leaders does matter,” Haslam said. “None of us in elected office are perfect, but the decisions that are made in the Oval Office have too many consequences to ignore the behavior we have seen.”

Less than a week ago, Haslam told reporters he was eager for the election to be over but would not say who he would be voting for.

Haslam said he still wants Republicans to vote.

“Now more than ever, who we elect to Congress and our state and local offices is critical to the future of this country and state that we love,” he said.

Haslam is the first Republican politician in Tennessee to publicly oppose Trump’s presidential campaign since the
Access Hollywood video was released.