Dold Will Take Paul Ryan's Permission Slip

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After failing numerous leadership tests, Dold will bail on Trump—now that it’s allowed. 

NORTHBROOK, IL - After issuing a call on Tuesday for Republican Congressman Bob Dold to speak out on Trump's attacks on a Gold Star military family, Democrat Brad Schneider’s campaign released the following statement.

“As Donald Trump has been waging an assault on American values by attacking countless American citizens and principles, Bob Dold has repeatedly failed to show leadership,” said Campaign Manager Magen Ryan. “When Trump attacked a grieving Gold Star mother and father, Dold was silent and didn’t even condemn the most despicable of attacks. Now that Republicans have issued a memo giving members a permission slip to jump off of the Trump ship, Dold can be expected to take the pass he’s been given and hope the political press treats his political gamesmanship as a principled stand. The time to fully condemn Trump’s offensive behavior has passed, and not simply because Paul Ryan gave him permission and that Trump’s poll numbers are plummeting.

“Any attempt by Dold to fully repudiate and actively work against the Trump campaign now should be read for what it is – a hollow effort to put politics first and save his seat,” continued Ryan. “Falling in line as other Republican colleagues jump ship is not a principled stand, it’s the worst kind of Washington politics.”

Dold’s moves are increasingly driven by political calculations, rather than principles. POLITICO reported this week on a memo from the former National Republican Congressional Committee executive director giving vulnerable members of Congress a pass to dump Trump. That memo is included here.

Today, Congressman Mike Coffman became the first House Republican to air a campaign ad distancing himself from, and criticizing Donald Trump.

 

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