Donald Trump may have a lonely campaign ahead of November's presidential election, as several Republicans are beginning to grow tired of the business mogul's tone and rhetoric.
W. James Antle writes in the
Washington Examiner Trump's support among members of the GOP is waning — particularly in the wake of Trump's comments regarding
gun control and
Muslims after last weekend's terror attack in Orlando.
"I continue to be discouraged by the direction of the campaign and comments that are made," Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker told the Examiner. Corker's name was tossed around last month as a
potential vice presidential pick for Trump.
"In an effort to be constructive, I have offered public encouragement at important times, but I must admit that I am personally discouraged by the results," Corker added.
Corker is not alone in his feelings about Trump.
"I'm just not going to comment on more of his statements," Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso said, reports the Examiner. "It's going to be five months of it."
Added South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, "What Trump does or says, every time he says something doesn't mean I have to have an answer for it."
The shooter in Sunday's Orlando attack at a gay nightclub had legally purchased two firearms he used to kill 49 people and injure more than 50 others — a Sig Sauer MCX .223-caliber rifle and a Glock 17 9mm pistol.
Both weapons are semi-automatic, which means each round requires a separate trigger pull to fire.
The shooter was twice investigated by the FBI on potential terror links, but he was cleared. Trump wants to restrict gun purchases to people on the FBI's terror watch list or the no-fly list. The majority of conservative lawmakers take issue with most forms of gun control.
Trump is also taking a risk by
reaching out to the gay community in response to the shooting, saying he "will fight for you while Hillary brings in more people that will threaten your freedoms and beliefs."
Some gay men are even
abandoning their anti-Trump stance and jumping aboard the Trump train.
"Never before has a Republican presidential nominee so much as mentioned the LGBT community, let alone lavished such praise upon us," Gregory Angelo, president of a gay Republican group called the Log Cabin Republicans, told
The Wall Street Journal.
Trump senses he may have few Republican lawmakers behind him, at least publicly.
"This is too tough to do it alone, but you know what? I think I'm going to be forced to," Trump said Wednesday,
reports the Journal. "Our leaders have to get a lot tougher."
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