It's been no secret that there is no love lost between Donald Trump and the Republican establishment. Even after Trump secured the party's nomination at the Republican National Convention last month, many GOP officials were still not sold on their new nominee.

Trump exit plan

When Trump announced his intention to run for president, he quickly made headlines by referring to illegal immigrants from Mexico as "murderers" and "rapists." In the year since the announcement, the billionaire real estate mogul has created constant controversy, resulting in a divide between the campaign and many within the GOP.

While publicly many top Republicans have been careful with their comments about Trump, a new report highlights the bitter divide within the party. As reported by The Hill on August 16, two Republican congressman have joined over 120 GOP officials in urging the Republican National Committee (RNC) to drop their support for Trump.

In addition to 121 former Representatives, Senators, and GOP staff members, Rep. Reid Ribble of Wisconsin, and Rep. Scott Rigell of Virginia have added their name to a growing list of anti-Trump Republicans. The letter, which will be sent to RNC Chairman Rience Priebus, describes Trump's campaign as having "catastrophic impact" on other races, most notably important Senate and House elections.

"We urge you to immediately suspend all discretionary RNC support for Trump and focus the entirety of the RNC’s available resources on preserving the GOP’s congressional majorities," the letter states.

Continued trouble

Earlier this month, Politico reported that Preibus had privately spoke to Trump, warning the former host of "The Apprentice" that unless he changes his tone, the RNC would no longer support or fund his campaign, and instead use the money in other areas.

Trump and Priebus have since denied the report, though an additional story by The New York Times reported further internal trouble between Trump and the RNC.

Election outlook

The latest rolling average released by Real Clear Politics shows Trump trailing his general election opponent, Hillary Clinton, by just under seven points, 47.7 percent to 41 percent.

Clinton has also expanded her lead in major swing states, as she now is up by nine points in Pennsylvania, six points in Michigan, and 10 points in Virginia. Unless drastic changes occur over the next 84 days, Clinton is expected to cruise to a near landslide victory.
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED