Embattled New Hampshire senator Kelly Ayotte says she will not be supporting Donald Trump, the Republican party nominee, for president. Ayotte, who faced a tough challenge from Democrat Maggie Hassan, released a statement Saturday morning in which she said she will write in Mike Pence, Trump’s running mate, for president on her ballot.
Ayotte joins her fellow Republican senators Ben Sasse, Mark Kirk, Jeff Flake, Mike Lee, and Mike Crapo in opposing Trump, and the latest among a group of GOP members of Congress to state or suggest Trump should not be the Republican choice for president.
Ayotte’s announcement comes just a day after the Washington Post reported that Trump had spoken in lewd and violent terms about sexual acts with women. And just days ago, in a debate with Hassan, Ayotte characterized Trump as a “role model,” a statement she swiftly walked back.
