GOP Senate candidate reverses course, says he’ll vote Trump

Republican Senate candidate Darryl Glenn said at a private forum that he will be voting for GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump, after previously calling for him to step down, CNN reported.

{mosads}Glenn, who is running against incumbent Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet (D), called on Trump to exit the race in the wake of 2005 audio showing him making obscene remarks about women.  

He said at a debate this week that he was willing to give Trump a second chance.

In audio obtained by CNN from the Colorado Concern forum Friday, Glenn told attendees he is not endorsing Trump but will vote for him.  

“So where I’m at right now is that I absolutely will be supporting the Republican platform and voting for Mr. Trump,” Glenn said. “I will not be personally endorsing Mr. Trump, and there is a clear distinction. When I personally endorse you that means I know your heart, I know your character and I can personally attest to that, and I cannot. If that changes we can revisit that. When it comes to evaluating the policies of what we’re going to be able to do with regard to weighing the Republican policy platform versus the Democrats, it is not even a choice. I will be voting for the Republican ticket and Republican candidates.”

Glenn said that he had a strong reaction when he first heard the tape, but he found Trump’s subsequent apology sincere.  

“When the story first came out and I heard that, I had a reaction as a father, as a Christian, and I was very concerned, deeply moved by that. The initial reaction was real; that’s how I felt. I’m not going to apologize for that,” he said. 

“What Republicans must understand — especially here in Colorado — is it’s fine to sit here and talk to Republicans, but you also must understand that when I’m out there as the head of my party in the state, when I’m talking to Democrats and un-affiliates, the first question out of their mouth is to justify the comments for my candidate. And I can not do that without not having a relationship with that individual.”