To: Republican Gubernatorial Candidates
From: Susan Swecker, Chairwoman of the Democratic Party of Virginia
To Ed Gillespie, Rob Wittman, and Frank Wagner: it's time to follow your moral compass and revoke your endorsement of Donald Trump. Your candidate’s latest bombshell is absolutely abhorrent and unbecoming for any respectable human being, let alone someone running to be President of the United States.
I won’t write his words here – they are beyond the pale and frankly too sickening to repeat; but I will say this – they are unforgivable. Republicans, Democrats, and Independents must all reject this repulsive narrative that is all too familiar for Donald Trump.
Perpetuating sexual assault as normalized behavior is not “locker room banter,” it is an outright disgrace. Since when does the Republican Party condone groping and degrading women?
How can you, fathers, brothers, and husbands, stand by this man that demeans and objectifies women so casually? Is Donald Trump the role model you want for your children?
Look at your wife, look at your daughters, and try to explain how you can continue to support Donald Trump. Put your party allegiance aside and let your conscience take over – condemning what he said is not enough; it’s obvious the man is fundamentally unfit for office.
It is inconceivable to think that you will continue to vote for this reprehensible man. Mr. Trump’s candidacy is a poisonous mix of misogyny and ignorance, and if elected he would pollute the standards that make the American president the most respected figure in the world.
Merely condemning your candidate is meaningless posturing if you continue to endorse him. If you expect to ever govern the people of Virginia, including millions of women and girls, you have to do more. Virginia values are simply not compatible with Trump’s words, and our Commonwealth deserves better than someone who blindly supports him.
I ask you to disavow this candidate once and for all. If you truly revere family values, rescind your endorsement today. Enough is enough.
Susan Swecker