Melissa Gesing, the president of an Iowa Republican women's group, resigned because of Donald Trump. | AP Photo President of Iowa Republican women's group resigns over Trump

The president of the Iowa Federation of Republican Women resigned Tuesday night, writing in a statement that she “cannot support Donald J. Trump for president, nor can I advocate for his election.”

“I feel that I cannot adequately fulfill the duties of my position,” Melissa Gesing wrote in her resignation letter, which she also published on Twitter. “I am still a Republican and plan to work hard for our down ballot GOP candidates."


The Iowa FRW is a tax-exempt 527 organization made up of women whose mission is "to elect Republicans at all levels of government with Trump as our party’s nominee."

The Manhattan billionaire’s long history of derogatory and objectifying remarks toward and about women has weighed heavily on his electoral chances. Most recently, The Washington Post published previously unheard clips of Trump speaking into a hot microphone in 2005, describing in vulgar terms how his star power allowed him to make unwanted sexual advances on women and grope them without fear of consequence.

An NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll conducted after the release of the 2005 video showed Trump trailing Hillary Clinton by 11 points, 46 percent to 35 percent, among likely voters nationwide in a four-way race that also includes Libertarian Gary Johnson and the Green Party’s Jill Stein.

Gesing took particular issue with the statement issued by National Federation of Republican Women President Carrie Almond, which reaffirmed the group’s support for Trump and did not mention his most recent remarks about women.

“This is truly a last resort for me,” Gesing wrote. “I cannot in good conscience lead this organization or look at myself in the mirror each morning if I do not take a stand against the racism, sexism and hate that Donald J. Trump continues to promote.”