Top conservative columnist leaving Republican Party over Trump

Image
AFP Washington
Last Updated : Jun 26 2016 | 9:48 AM IST
Influential conservative columnist George Will says he is leaving the Republican Party over Donald Trump's polarising presidential campaign and urged others to follow suit, even if it means rival Democrats take the White House.
Will, a Washington Post columnist, told a luncheon Friday: "This is not my party," according to the conservative PJ Media news website.
The Pulitzer Prize winner told the media outlet Republicans should "make sure" Trump loses, after giving a speech at the conservative Federalist Society luncheon.
Will said he had changed his voter registration from Republican to "unaffiliated" this month.
During the event, Will said it would be worse for Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, to be president with "no opposition" from a Republican-led Congress than for Hillary Clinton to be president with a Republican-led Congress.
Will did not indicate whether he would vote for Libertarian Party nominee Gary Johnson, a former governor of New Mexico, noting that it was unclear whether this third-party ticket would help or hurt Clinton.
In a column published this week in the Post, Will urged Republicans to "save your party, don't give to Trump."
"Trump's campaign has less cash ($1.3 million) than some congressional candidates have, so Republican donors have never been more important than they are at this moment. They can save their party by not aiding its nominee," he wrote.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Jun 26 2016 | 9:48 AM IST

Next Story