Most Ohio GOP lawmakers stand with Trump despite ‘offensive’ behavior

Rep. Jim Jordan: ‘This election is about Hillary Clinton’s record as well.’

The bulk of Ohio’s top elected Republicans are staying behind Donald Trump, the party’s presidential nominee, even while using words such as “reprehensible,” “indefensible” and “offensive” to describe his behavior.

U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, Columbus area U.S. Rep. Pat Tiberi, and Ohio Auditor Dave Yost all abandoned Trump after his lewd sexual comments about women surfaced in a leaked videotape on Friday.

Yost called on Trump to withdraw as the party’s nominee, describing what the New York billionaire said on the tape as “sexual assault.”

Gov. John Kasich, who refused to even step foot inside the Republican National Convention hall in Cleveland where Trump was nominated, says now he won’t even vote for him.

“It has been an accumulation of his words and actions that many have been warning about,” Kasich said after the videotape of Trump’s sexual bantering surfaced.

But those viewpoints are hardly universal among the party’s Ohio elite. Four other Republican statewide executive officeholders — including Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor — denounced Trump’s videotaped behavior from 2005, but still say they plan to vote for him.

Taylor, the only woman among the four, called Trump’s conduct “appalling” but said she would vote for the entire GOP ticket — including Trump — because “the same failed policies originating in Washington are moving the country backwards while we are working hard to move Ohio forward.”

Secretary of State Jon Husted, Attorney General Mike DeWine and Treasurer Josh Mandel all criticized Trump’s sexually explicit remarks but remain supportive of his candidacy.

Husted, DeWine and Taylor are looking at a run for governor in 2018. Yost plans to run for attorney general and Tiberi and Mandel could square off in a primary to take on Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio.

Ohio’s congressional delegation also largely remains in Trump’s corner.

Rep. Brad Wenstrup, R-Cincinnati, called Trump’s comments “disgusting” and “revolting,” but suggested Clinton’s actions have been worse.

“I’ve been asked by some in the media if I will withdraw my support for the Republican nominee, yet no one in the media asked my Democratic colleagues if they would withdraw their support for the candidate who defended the degrading actions of her husband, destroyed evidence after being subpoenaed, lied about destruction of official e-mails, lied about — and is unable to recognize — classified or top secret material, called fellow Americans “deplorable” and “irredeemable,” and lied about the events in Benghazi,” Wenstrup said.

Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Troy, who filled former House Speaker John Boehner’s 8th District seat, said he still plans to vote for Trump.

“That does not mean that I support all of his policies, actions, or words,” he said. “For President, we have a binary choice between Donald Trump and someone whose actions disqualify her from serving as Commander in Chief. Hillary Clinton’s record shows us we can know with certainty she will not defend our Constitution, appoint reasonable judges to the Supreme Court, or protect American security.”

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Urbana, said he would never want his wife Polly or the couple’s daughters to be talked about the way Trump talked about women in the videotape.

“But this election is about Hillary Clinton’s record as well,” he said.

Rep. Mike Turner, R-Dayton, did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

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